The Wandering Devil
Chapter: 25
Pa/ t reon details below the chapter if you're interested in seeing some content in advance. I'll keep posting regardless. If you have any suggestions you would like to see added, I will try to incorporate what I can :)
(The Monster Tamer)
The Amphisbaena's heads tilted, its glowing slotted yellow eyes narrowing as it watched me.
I tensed, waiting and ready to avoid an attack, but it didn't come. Instead, the creature shifted, its tails swaying behind it like coiled serpents.
"You understand me, don't you?" I muttered, my voice calm despite the strange situation.
I didn't lower my hands entirely.
Admittedly, the saying I had bitten more than I could chew was applicable in this sense. I hadn't exactly been cocky but this monster was incredibly dangerous.
Granted, I wasn't outright vying to kill it so I wasn't resorting to everything I had at my disposal. I was interested in that red mist that could even weaken my mutated power of destruction.
Both heads growled in unison. The sound wasn't purely hostile; it was filled with something else. Unfortunately, I wasn't a monster. Despite what our dearly beloved local church may decree. So I couldn't understand.
I wanted this to be my Familiar. Since it could understand me my chances had grown a lot higher.
"Look at this place," I said, gesturing to the scorched and shattered battlefield around us but mostly the deary dungeon above. "I wonder how long you've been stuck down here like this?"
The left head lunged without warning, jaws wide and fast.
Touchy subject.
I spun out of the way, just barely dodging the attack. Its fangs snapped shut inches from my side, and I felt the rush of heat from its breath.
"Not exactly the answer I was looking for," I muttered, jumping back as the right head followed with another strike.
This time, I raised a barrier of wind, forcing the head to veer off-course.
"You're confused," I continued, my voice self-assured as if I was some sort of therapist.
I sidestepped as its tail whipped around, carving a trench into the ground.
"You've probably never met anyone who could talk to you like this. Especially an adventurer or maybe not even another other monster. If I'd truly wanted to kill you I wouldn't be talking to you right now." I tried to assure the large monster.
The creature hissed, both heads snapping toward me at once.
I ducked low, moving across the scorched ground as its jaws collided where I'd stood. I clicked my tongue and threw a fireball at the left head, not to harm it but to grab its attention.
It recoiled, shaking off the minor burn, while the right head spewed a wave of red mist in retaliation.
The mist descended toward me, in response to its attack a strong gust of wind erupted from my palms, barely dispersing the haze just enough for me to leap out of range.
"You're strong. I don't think you're fighting to kill me. Not at the moment anyway. I think you're interested in the fact that I can communicate with you." I told the creature.
The heads paused briefly, their eyes narrowing again.
I continued talking. The Amphisbaena was hesitating due to my words.
"See? You're thinking about it," I said, smirking slightly. "You've been here for who knows how long, Imprisoned in an endless battle."
Say what you want about my lack of subtlety in most situations, I knew how to use my words. I didn't want to kill what I could see as a very powerful ally.
The Monster without my help is easily in the pseudo-high-class range. It did make me wonder what else was down in the dungeons.
"But what happens after this fight? You kill me, sure. Then what? You go back to waiting for the next poor fool to wander in here? Or maybe a party enters and ends up killing you." I continued, an easy-going smile on my face.
I could see it actually considering my words, a thought about the future that had never been touched before.
The left head roared, its jaws opening to release a massive blast of blue fire.
I raised a large shield of earth as my imagination magic was used to full effect, barely managing to hold back the searing flames. The thick slabs of rock cracked and I was forced to add many more layers.
"Do you perhaps think I'm just talking to a stall? I'm not," I growled, dropping the shield and letting the flames pass over my shoulder as I darted to the side.
I used a considerable amount of power to send a giant blast of condensed wind that caught the monster off-guard, slamming into its scaled skin and pushing it back.
"I've fought monsters before. I've killed monsters before. I haven't killed you because you are not a basic monster." I calmly uttered.
It quickly recovered, sending a glance down to the impact zone that had knocked a few scales off its scaled skin.
Both heads growled again, though it noticeably held less malice.
Even monsters liked the thought of being special.
"You've got brains to match your strength," I continued, circling around the creature. "You are more valuable than to spend the next million years trapped in a dungeon, repeating an endless motion."
The attacks had stopped, I could actually see some pain in its slitted eyes.
"Join me, break free of whatever you've got going on here and do something other than sitting around. You'll grow stronger, smarter and you'll get to adventure to places with me." I finished chipperly.
The right head lunged suddenly, snapping at my legs.
I flipped backward, landing on a chunk of shattered rock as its fangs clamped down on empty air.
Rude.
Obviously taming a monster that's been down in the dungeon for who knows how long wasn't going to be a piece of cake.
My wand appeared in my hand for the first time.
"Confringo." A bright red spell shot out. My magic was amplified just a small bit and the drain on my demonic power wasn't as draining as normal.
The spell hit the Monster and a large explosion shook the cave. The monster was thrown back and scales dropped off its body.
Its mouth opened to spit fire. "Langlock."
The head that was gathering fire's tongue suddenly became tied to the roof of its mouth, thus making its attempt to spout fire cut off abruptly.
"Incarcerous."
Ropes started to bind the large monster, only to be ripped apart within moments.
"Duro." The spell hit, making it pause for a moment as its skin seemingly became solid. Only for the monster to resist the spell.
If you couldn't tell, I was testing new spells I had learnt recently. As you could see, my magical knowledge from the world where I accidentally became a dark lord was proving to be invaluable.
These spells were useful.
"Confringo."
Another spell shot but this time the monster knew better.
Red mist poured out chaotically around the beast as it regained its bearings completely.
The spell fizzled out. The demonic energy fuelling it being dissolved by the red mist.
The left head snarled, releasing another torrent of blue fire.
This time, I didn't dodge. I countered with a powerful stream of wind, redirecting the flames upward before they could reach me. I skidded back slightly from the force but was overall able to maintain it.
The creature hesitated, both heads lowering slightly as it growled softly.
"You know I'm right. What's the point in this? Join me."
The right head snapped forward again, but it was slower this time. I stepped aside, and retreated further back. I reached into my bottomless pouch and pulled out the contract I had made especially for this occasion, it was basically a Familiar contract in every way I could think of.
There was the issue of how I was going to get the Amphisbaena to sign it. I don't think a monster can exactly sign it.
"This contract will bind you to me, you could say we will become partners." I continued.
Perhaps waiting would have been better, but I had no way of knowing that he wouldn't be wiped out by one of the stronger Familia's if I left him down here for a while.
The left head sniffed the air, its glowing eyes narrowing as it examined the contract. The right head growled softly, but it didn't attack.
"You're already serving as someone else's unwilling lapdog, join me instead and you'll receive a lot more benefits than simply existing." I offered.
The creature growled again, both heads lowering toward the parchment. I didn't flinch or make any movement.
"I'll need a small bit of your blood since I'm presuming you won't be able to sign it." I calmly requested.
The large monster stared me down before. Finally, the Amphisbaena let out a sharp huff and lowered its heads completely. I searched its eyes and I could see my words resonated with it.
Not exactly a hard feat considering its current situation.
A grin spread across my face as I pressed the contract onto its scales. A small 'Diffindo.' Had a small part of its skin open up and drop blood onto the contract. I watched with anticipation.
The contract lit up and I grinned.
I had based it off the sacred gear from one of my original worlds.
Due to my status as a pureblood Devil, I had learnt about the subject thoroughly as they were considered invaluable for peerage pieces and the overall pyramid scene the Devils had going on.
When I had been thinking about gaining a monster as my Familiar, I had worried about how I was going to get them out of the dungeon.
Since the contracts had shown themselves to be incredibly powerful, to the point they could even transfer non-physical assets such as attributes and even souls.
It had firstly left me wondering why the Devils didn't abuse this, I hadn't heard any such contracts even existing among our race. The contracts I had been shown simply offered deals for small amounts of demonic energy and bonded agreements.
Secondly, when making this contract. Besides the general agreements of a Familiar contract, he should in theory be able to shrink down to a smaller form.
Since he would be connected to my soul now. I didn't think making him disappear completely into my soul was possible and I didn't want to even touch anything involving my own soul so I settled on this.
I was guessing that since the contract was accepted that it worked?
I felt a connection form.
The Amphisbaena's eyes softened considerably as I felt its emotions. It was weird feeling loyalty from the creature that had just spent the last few minutes trying to kill and eat me.
Though, it had the effect of making me feel a bit more at ease. I hadn't been sure how I was going to gain full loyalty from a monster but it seems to have worked out.
The Amphisbaena's eyes glimmered with newfound care for me.
"Well, that worked better than expected," I muttered to myself.
Both heads dipped slightly. I raised a brow and smirked.
"Let's see if this part works too."
"Shrink," I commanded, I extended both of my hands.
The creature's body glowed faintly, the sheer size of its twin heads and coiled tails beginning to compress. Tough scales shimmered as its form twisted and shrank until it was no larger than a coiled serpent.
Both heads tilted as they regarded me curiously, now perched on the ground like a snake with a split personality.
"Perfect," I said with a wicked grin.
The Amphisbaena slithered up my arm, its smaller form surprisingly lightweight as it coiled itself around my shoulders. Its two heads rested lazily, one near each side of my neck.
I couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity.
"I think I need to give you a name." I mused. "I don't want to keep referring to you as a Monster."
The two heads hissed, and I could feel a pulse of agreement through our newly created bond.
"I have a feeling you'd be against a pet name like 'Sooty'." I further mused.
They both hissed and a strong pulse of disagreement and bewilderment was sent my way.
I laughed.
"How about Vermisynth?" I questioned, and the two heads paused.
It was admittedly a strange sounding name but I liked that it was weird.
The name was one that was created to be remembered if not only for its weird pronunciation.
They both hissed in acceptance.
"Alright." I continued. "You are now named Vermisynth."
They hissed in agreement, giving my head a small nudge.
Vermisynth's form hugged tighter around my shoulders, its twin heads tilted in curious harmony.
"Ok, let's test something," I muttered, excitedly.
Vermisynth was a powerful addition to my Familia. I wanted to know what he could do.
"That strange red mist of yours... I want to see if it's just as potent in this size. Give me a small blast of it." I calmly ordered.
I wondered if keeping him around my neck like a quasi-sacred gear so he could boost my fighting capability was viable. It was a weird thought, but having such a powerful monster with such strange powers was a major power boost.
The heads hissed softly, seemingly understanding my request.
I pointed towards a rock.
The right head raised slightly, its eyes narrowing as it exhaled a faint plume of the crimson mist. It drifted into the air in front of me and I wondered if he could control it.
The rock was consumed by the red mist and easily began to dissolve into nothingness.
I tilted my head, and looked back at Vermisynth.
Inspecting the monster closely, I realised it had black lines on the underside of its entire body.
I opened my bottomless pouch and pulled out the guild's little books on known monsters that Rose had given me.
Sure enough, there was no mention of the red mist being able to corrode anything or any black lines on its body.
It was like the black Goliath.
That confirmed it, the dungeon was somewhat sentient and hated my existence. Jokes on it I had been able to tame it.
Vermisynth sensed my emotions of intrigue and exasperation. I hoped now that I had tamed one of them that the dungeon would not continue these weird attacks at me but that was wishful thinking.
"Now, give me a full blast." I continued.
Vermisynth's right head bulged slightly and a massive red blast of mist shot out, completely filling the area in front of us and corroding all of the stone.
The mist didn't reach us, even parting around us and the grin that spread across my face would probably unnerve a lot of people. Even in its reduced size, Vermisynth's power hadn't diminished at all.
"Impressive," I remarked, brushing off the residue of the stone. I moved to a different area, as to not disturb the red mist that was slowly starting to dissipate.
"Now a small blast of fire. Let's see if that blue flame is still hot enough to roast something."
The left head flicked its tongue, then unleashed a tiny stream of blue fire.
The flame struck another shard of rock, and the result was pretty clear. Scorching heat instantly melted through the material, leaving only a charred puddle of molten stone behind.
"Now, let a big blast out."
There was only a moment's pause, a gathering of blue in Vermisynth's throat. His right head opened its maw and let out a massive gout of flame that consumed everything.
Vermisynth stopped and looked at me, two eyes blinking almost innocently.
This monster had probably killed many powerful adventurers, yet that didn't matter. It really wasn't my business and it was kill or be killed. I gave him a pat on the head.
I smirked. "Still deadly. I think we're going to have a lot of fun, Vermisynth."
The two heads hissed in agreement,
"Let's hunt," I said, my grin sharp.
I wanted to see the effects that eating a copious amount of monster crystals would bring.
We left the area and casually strolled to another one.
"Let's see what you can do in combat," I whispered, my voice low.
No sooner had I spoken than a pack of Hellhounds emerged from the gloom, their glowing eyes fixated on us. Their maws opened, and waves of fire roared toward us.
"Vermisynth."
The right head hissed, releasing a burst of red mist that spread out like a living fog. The Hellhounds' flames fizzled the moment they touched the corrosive cloud, the monsters snarling in confusion.
Vermisynth uncoiled and leapt into action, its small form rapidly growing later.
The Hellhounds looked up in bewilderment.
The left head unleashed a concentrated jet of blue fire, cutting through the pack with surgical precision, their blackened bodies crumbling into ash.
"Maybe try to not destroy the monster crystal." I added.
It was a few minutes before we stumbled into the next monster.
A giant Minotaur lumbered into view, drawn by the commotion.
Its roar echoed through the cavern, shaking loose chunks of stone from the ceiling. Vermisynth simply opened its maw, its red mist seeping into the monster's thick hide.
I sighed.
"Yeah, see this isn't going to work if you just keep destroying all of the monster crystals." I flatly said.
I got two huffs of annoyance in reply.
This was going to take a while.
-Scene Break-
I walked into the adventurer's guild casually, catching the eye of a rose. Who greeted me with that cold stare of hers.
"Zephyrion." She nodded, her eyes widened slightly. "You are still alive."
"Naturally." I replied. "It's great to see you too, I've missed you."
She blinked. "Why would you miss me?"
I shrugged.
"Even after everything I've done?"
I tilted my head, yeah. She was a bit annoying but that came from a good place. I wasn't going to cry about it and it wasn't completely unwarranted. I was a new adventurer that probably looked completely over their head.
"Of course, you weren't doing it to be malicious, you were simply worried in your own way." I replied easily.
She actually gained a hint of a blush.
"We should take this talk somewhere else." She commented.
"How come?" I responded.
She deadpanned.
"Everyone is staring at us." She replied coldly.
Sure enough, they were. Most of them were guild workers who looked shocked that I was conversing with Rose so casually.
Right. I had a habit of ignoring people that weren't a threat to me.
We moved to a conference room.
I had the pleasure of passing the elven guild assistant that was paired with Bell, she glared at me as if I had shat on her baby kitten and I simply smiled back.
"So." Rose started. "I see your back in one piece."
"Yeah, mostly." I chuckled.
She raised an eyebrow, "I'm guessing you caused a lot of trouble wherever you disappeared too."
"Not willing." I replied.
She sent me a flat look.
"How is everything going since I've been gone?" I asked, diverting the subject.
"Strangely, my other adventurers are doing… well." She admitted, looking oddly vulnerable. "Which may be attributed to the fact you've changed my views on certain things."
"Good to hear." I replied without any trace of judgement.
She smiled slightly at that, before she gained a small frown. "The guild is on high alert though, recently we found a massive amount of destruction in lands relatively not too far away from here. It looks like a large-scale battle has taken place."
My face was perfectly blank. "Why would that be a concern? Don't battles probably happen often and by the sounds of it the destruction took place a distance away from Orario."
She looked pensive. "Well… yes. That's true. But the damage and how quickly it was achieved. Leads us to believe it was a group of very powerful adventurers. Perhaps levels fives or even six. Which makes it our business."
"Could it have been other beings outside of Orario?" I questioned curiously, I didn't know much about the world outside of Orario so this would be a good gauge. It would be weird if Orario was the only place with powered-humans.
"Naturally, but considering the distance it's most likely an adventurer. Which can't go unchecked. If it is an outside force we will need to look into them and potentially fine them." She explained.
I paused. "Why would you fine someone outside of Orario? I've seen plenty of adventurers abuse their status and the guild doesn't seem to care at all."
"The damage done, whether by adventurers or an outside force, was substantial and has caused that land to become a wasteland. Unable to regrow to the sheer destruction. Letting that go unpunished so close to our walls is a bad look and allowing any sort of powered being to do as they please never ends well." She said coldly, a hint of spite entering her blank tone.
Yeah, that seemed valid.
"Many times an adventurer has gotten in over their head and the guild has been forced to gently remind them that they aren't that important in the grand scheme of things." She said, a small smirk on her face.
It was sexy.
I admired her and she blinked at my silence. Before she noticed my eyes and glared.
I smiled. "Well, looks like whoever did that is in for a hefty fine."
"Indeed." She replied, unamused but with a minuscule blush that made me grin.
"As for you inquiring into a new property, I think I've gathered a few estates that fit the budget you are seeking." She continued.
"Ah, yes." I clapped my hands.
My budget.
This world's currency ran based on yen, one of the biggest differences that suggested this world was an alternate reality to the one I knew.
Besides what had come after my arrival anyway, since technically my presence was what made this place the alternate reality.
In terms of dollars, after a few sleepless nights of going to higher floors in the dungeon, My budget had come up to a quarter of a million dollars. The fact we were still living in the church was because most of us had survived the worst conditions and weren't that picky.
Being an adventurer was a very good paying job.
Most Familias on the more powerful side made a lot of money.
A decent house was in the 75,000 USD zone which was 3,750,099 Vali.
A good, large spacious house was 300,000 USD.
15,000,000 Vali.
A big number.
My price range was 12,000,000 Vali. Which was basically all of our funds.
I wanted a big house sooner rather than later in any case, I would be going back to the wizarding world in just over a week and now that I knew what to expect I would be taking some of them back with me to act as guards.
"I've selected three different housing options for you to consider," Rose began, holding a neatly folded scroll with the details. "Each has its pros and cons, but they're within your price range. Let me break them down for you."
She unfolded the scroll, pointing to the first listing.
"The first is a cozy two-story home in the northern district. It has two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a combined dining and living area. It's a bit older but still looks good. The space might feel a bit cramped if you're planning on a larger group, but it's the most affordable."
I nodded, inspecting the house and overlaying it with what I had in mind.
She moved her finger down to the second listing.
"The second option is near to the heart of Orario. three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a decent kitchen, you'll have to deal with some repairs. It's larger than the first for a cheaper price though."
That could be easily done. Wizarding magic was woefully overlooked.
Finally, she tapped on the last listing with a subtle smile.
"And this one? It's in a quieter part of the city, near the western gate. Six rooms, three bathrooms, a large dining area, and additional spaces you could repurpose however you like. It's pricier, but it's in excellent condition and could accommodate a Familia if that's your goal. It's got a gate surrounding the premise but again, for its price some repairs will be in order." She explained.
I grinned, rubbing my chin. "Six rooms and three bathrooms? That sounds like a palace compared to the first two. As for the repairs, that's not a worry. I am more than willing to fix it up."
I looked at the cost.
11,250,000 vali.
It was a hefty sum of money. I assumed it would be more expensive if not for the damages that the property probably had.
Rose nodded. "It is the best choice if you can afford it. The repairs were my only concern but if you are so sure that you can fix it up. Shall we go take a look?"
I grinned in response. "Lead the way,"
Rose nodded and started walking, the scroll tucked neatly under her arm as she led me through the winding streets of Orario.
It didn't take us long till we were at the house.
"Here it is," Rose announced flatly, stopping in front of a large gate.
It creaked slightly as she pushed it open, revealing a spacious property beyond. The house itself was a two-story structure that was protected by a gate spanning around the whole area.
I walked inside.
Rose followed and walked past me, unlocking the front door.
"The previous owners abandoned it after their Familia disbanded. That Familia owed a debt to the guild and thus we possessed it for damages," Rose informed me.
The door opened, revealing a wide foyer with high ceilings.
Despite the dust, the interior was nice. The polished wooden floors were scuffed by and obviously damaged. The walls showed signs of peeling paint along with cracks, and a few cobwebs in the corners.
"This is the main hall," Rose said, stepping aside as I entered. "It leads to the dining area over there and connects to a small study on the right. The kitchen is through that door, and the bedrooms are split between the first and second floors."
I stepped into the dining room and ran my fingers along the edge of the long wooden table left behind. It was scratched.
The space was large enough to easily host my Familia and future members.
I nodded in approval.
She led me through the kitchen next. It was serviceable, though the counters were chipped and some of the cabinets hung slightly askew.
Nothing a bit of wizarding magic couldn't fix.
"The real highlight is upstairs," Rose continued. She gestured toward the staircase, which creaked underfoot but felt solid.
The upper floor had four bedrooms, each with enough space for a bed, a small dresser and room to spare. The two bathrooms upstairs were surprisingly intact, with functioning plumbing that Rose demonstrated.
"It's rare to find something this well-constructed in this price range," she said. "Then again, the fact it's so damaged and the guild wants to get rid of it to recover most of the debt."
"The repairs are manageable." I commented. "I like it. The gate will be easy to fortify and add an extra bit of security too."
She sent me a side-eyed look, her sharp yellow eyes narrowing.
"Why would you need defences?" She questioned.
I shrugged. "Why not?"
She huffed. Turning around and leading me outside to the backyard without another word. It was overgrown with weeds, but the stone patio and small fountain at its center was a nice touch.
Rose shot me a look. "So, what's the verdict?"
I grinned. "It's perfect. I'll take it."
-Scene Break-
"I'm back." I called out, walking in to see Hestia alone.
Hestia sat alone on the worn couch, her frame illuminated by the soft glow of a nearby candle.
She blinked up at me, a mix of surprise and delight crossing her face.
"Hey, Zeph," she greeted me.
I walked closer, leaning against the back of the couch with an easy smile. "So, I've got some news."
Her brow furrowed slightly. "News?"
"We're moving," I said casually, watching her reaction closely. "I bought us a new place. A real house."
Her eyes widened instantly, the words clearly catching her off guard. "Wait, what? A house? Like, an actual house?"
"Yep. No more cramped church. It's big, cozy, and all ours," I replied.
Her lips parted as if to respond, but no words came.
Instead, her hands flew to her mouth, and tears began to well in her eyes. "We are moving…?"
"Of course," I replied easily. "I told you we weren't going to be staying here much longer, you deserve better."
She stood abruptly, throwing her arms around me, her face pressed against my chest. Her voice came out muffled. "I can't believe this… thank you, Zeph."
I placed a hand on her back, letting her have her moment. "It's no big deal," I said lightly, though I knew it meant the world to her.
-END-
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