Chapter 31: Nothing can resist time

Lorena stiffened, frantically shaking the last drops of green liquid from her sword.

Even Cynthia, about to touch the green blood, quietly withdrew her hand.

Ina’s theory made sense—what if it was toxic?
The sewer’s pollution might stem from these creatures’ fluids.

Cynthia struggled to identify the species.
Her knowledge on this was blank.

Then, the Blood Demon’s voice, silent for ages, echoed in her mind, startling her.

“Oh, isn’t this a Corrupted Demon Spider?”

“Next time, warn me before you pop in, you jerk!”

In the dark sewer, even Cynthia’s night vision didn’t dull the jolt.
She gritted her teeth, snapping at the Blood Demon internally.

“Sorry, sorry. You just seemed clueless about these things, so I couldn’t resist.”

“What’d you call it? Corrupted Demon Spider?”

Cynthia took a deep breath, calming herself.
“Why haven’t I heard of it?”

“Understandable. They’re from our era—should be extinct by now, right?”

The Blood Demon’s tone carried doubt.
“These are monsters, corrupted ones. Products of the demons back then.”

Demons.

Cynthia knew a bit about them—a rare race, each member wielding immense power.
Records from the Dawn of the Gods, thousands of years ago, said the Demon Lord’s kind was sealed in the Far North for their evil might.

Even in the Holy Kingdom’s north, no demon had been seen for centuries, turning them into myths.
Adults used tales of demons to scare naughty kids.

“These corrupted creatures were born from the Demon Lord’s blessing. Monsters are like lesser demons—powerful, but not purebred.”

Cynthia froze, a realization hitting.

If monsters tied to demons were here…

“Could the sealed demons be back?”

“Nah, that old barrier isn’t easily broken.”

The Blood Demon sounded confident, but its voice wavered.
“Though… after so long, a bit of power leaking out wouldn’t be shocking.”

Cynthia glanced at Lorena, still pondering, and asked, “Did you feel anything odd when you stabbed those things?”

“Nothing special. Like hitting a normal demon spider.”

Lorena’s answer suggested these Corrupted Demon Spiders were physically similar to regular ones—not demon-level strength, as the Blood Demon implied.

If the Blood Demon was right, the seal might’ve only loosened slightly.

To find the truth, they needed the source.

Cynthia stood, eyeing the waterway’s depths.
“These aren’t normal. They’re… monsters.”

“Monsters? What’s that?”

Lorena, clueless about the term, tilted her head.

“Hard to explain, but they’re corrupted creatures. We need to wipe them out.”

Cynthia, fresh off the Blood Demon’s info, kept it vague.
“Let’s move. Protect Ina.”

“Don’t worry, Senior Cynthia. I’ll keep Miss Ina safe!”

“Senior…? Whatever, let’s go.”

As they spoke, they missed Ina’s strange expression by the spider corpse.

Ina trailed behind, staring at Cynthia’s back, words caught in her throat.

Monsters?

These didn’t match the monsters she’d read about in a forbidden Church text, accessible only through the Goddess.
Those were far fiercer, their power on another level.

More crucially, that knowledge was erased from the world long ago.

How does Cynthia know about them?

Despite their time together, Cynthia’s mysteries only deepened.

But now wasn’t the time for questions.
Danger loomed ahead.

A swarm of monsters charged from the darkness.

“Left flank!”

“Dark Demon Bullet!”

Guided by Lorena, Ina gripped her staff, conjuring dark-elemental bullets that struck the monsters on their left.

With splashes, the creatures fell into the water, lifeless.

In the sewer’s dim light, Ina felt her dark magic surge beyond her expectations, surpassing even her staff’s enhancement.

“Didn’t expect you could use that…”

Lorena glanced at the fallen monsters, stopping short.

Ina, knowing what she meant, patted her shoulder.
“Keep it quiet. Not many know.”

Lorena nodded.
In the Holy Church, dark magic was taboo—especially for a Saint.
The Borus Empire’s branch was near-independent, so Lorena held her tongue.
A fanatic would’ve branded Ina a heretic on the spot.

“Still… I’m nowhere near Cynthia-chan…”

Ina sighed, eyeing Cynthia ahead.

Lorena nodded silently.

The monsters they handled were stragglers.

Cynthia, wielding two swords from who-knows-where, stood firm, barely shifting her feet.
Her blades danced in a blur, shredding monsters like a meat grinder.

Only when the last fell did she stop, turning to them.
“You okay?”

“Hard to be anything else…”

Ina stared, speechless.

If she hadn’t seen it, she wouldn’t believe it.

Cynthia stood untouched, not a drop of green blood on her, her clothes pristine.

Is this really human?!