The Handbook for Completing Demi-Human Girls

Chapter 604: Curse of Undeath

As Eliog and Jasmine channeled two opposing forces—one of Chaos and the other of Order—down towards Helaire's barrier below, the door sealing the Base gradually widened, displaying its terrifying presence to the entities outside.

The unfathomable hole in the center of the hall became increasingly profound, and a wisp of faint crimson mist spread out from within. Anyone who saw that mist instantly had their hair stand on end, as if they were being stared at by some terror originating deep within their souls.

"Ugh..."

Jasmine's reaction was particularly strong. Unwittingly, her hair started turning pitch-black again. It was as if from within that mist, she heard a faint, mindless yet profoundly meaningful murmuring voice.

She heard the crimson mist's call, as if trying to drag her closer into the hole,

"All conditioned phenomena... are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow... like dew and like lightning..."

"Wh-what?"

She understood the words murmured within the mist, but failed to comprehend their profound meaning. Her action of outputting pure life force paused slightly, her attention drawn by the dream-like, illusory crimson mist.

"Hey! Whale-kin! Focus! This isn't class time!"

"Ah, ah! Sorry!"Jasmine awakened as if from a dream. She hastily snapped out of the mindless words coming from the crimson mist, returning her focus to Baimon's barrier before her. Yet, she still couldn't help but ask Eliog beside her,

"Demon God Eliog, did you... not hear some entity speaking?"

"You mean those meaningless murmurs within the crimson mist? Ignore them. Those sounds originate from the [Contamination] of the Spirit World. Be careful not to let those noises fry your brain."

"Mm..."

How strange, meaningless noises? But the crimson mist was clearly speaking...

Jasmine had no time to analyze whether Eliog could understand what the crimson mist was saying, because in the next moment, the trembling sound of the entire Dynasty became even more distinct. It was like an earthquake. Even the magma beneath the black reefs, covered in the Mother Goddess Seal, began boiling restlessly.

The Lord of Death couldn't stand steadily. He hastily reached out to support himself against the wall beside him, saying helplessly,

"Wait, does this happen every time you demons use a Portal? So loud and chaotic, wouldn't the other Demon Gods have objections?"

Cidi, leaning against the doorway, was drenched in fragrant sweat. Plagued by weakness, his body went soft and slid down against the wall until he sat on the floor bit by bit. Yet even so, he still had the luxury to answer the Lord of Death's question,

"Of course not. This is solely because I denied Barbatos entry, and the resulting phenomenon of him forcefully breaking down the door... Essentially, this is a direct clash between my power and his. Domestic violence, kid, it's very terrifying~"

"..."

The Lord of Death raised an eyebrow. Fisher, on the other hand, surmised from Cidi's increasingly unsustainable state that his strength in resisting Barbatos and the others from entering was already at the end of its tether. No matter what, Cidi's current tier, even at its maximum, was only at the Thirteenth Tier, while the other side simultaneously possessed two Eighteenth Tier Demon Gods. Being able to hold on for a few minutes was already considering quite good.

"Everyone, I won't be able to hold on much longer. If I persist any further, my soul will suffer damage... I'll count down twenty numbers, and they will enter the Dynasty. Twenty, nineteen..."

"Is this all you've got, Cidi?! Weren't you bragging to me earlier about how you had Barbatos completely submissive? How come you can't even hold on for two minutes now, awooo?!"

Looking at the barrier beneath the hole that had only just begun to be breached, Eliog couldn't help but grit her teeth and turn back to curse. Cidi also smiled helplessly, cupping his cheeks and pausing the countdown to say,

"That's in bed. Normally, I can..."

But Fisher couldn't allow them to waste any more time. After pondering for a moment, he immediately got ready to get up and head outside,

"I'll go to the Gate of Carnal Desire to see if I can stall for time. You guys hurry up and extract the Base, then seal them back inside..."

"No way!"

"No way! How could Professor Fisher possibly stop both of them simultaneously!"

As soon as these words came out, Eliog and Jasmine simultaneously paused their process of breaking Baimon's barrier. Eliog, in particular, stood straight up and came to Fisher's side, speaking to him with utmost seriousness,

"You going alone definitely won't work, it's tantamount to courting death... but there's no time left. I'll go with you. Let them continue breaking Baimon's barrier here, then extract the Base as quickly as possible."

"Against two Eighteenth Tier entities, what difference does one more or one less make?"

"There is. I know Agreas and Barbatos; they will definitely listen when I speak. Perhaps I can even clearly explain Baimon's conspiracy to them... at the very least, I can stall for a bit longer. If you go alone, are you familiar with them?"

"Then here..."

"Leave it to Cidi and Jasmine, those two..."

Cidi helplessly raised his hands and said with a smile,

"Everyone, we agreed in advance that I am neutral. I will not help you."

Veins bulged on Eliog's forehead, and the fireball behind her tail grew larger and larger. Evidently, she was infuriated to no small degree. She instantly appeared before Cidi, grabbing him and slamming him against the wall, speaking angrily,

"Cidi! I have already told you multiple times, this is Baimon's conspiracy, not a matter of whether to help your husband or not. Furthermore, you've already helped us block Barbatos; do you still need to be hypocritical about whether to help us a second time here? It's not like you're being asked to confront Barbatos head-on, just helping us deal with Baimon's barrier, is that so hard?"

Cidi's misty pink eyes just looked at Eliog before him. His smile remained just as before, still unmoved,

"Eliog, we agreed. And besides, up until now, I've only been listening to your side of the story. Although Baimon's reputation precedes her, in truth, she and I, and even you originally, are completely unrelated. You are my close friend, and so is Agreas; that kid is my junior, and Barbatos is my husband. Both sides are already even; no matter which side I help, it's incorrect...

"And fundamentally speaking, this matter has absolutely nothing to do with you at all. Your involvement is also to help your man. I feel happy for you, which is why I gave my all to help you guys block Barbatos... Besides, don't you guys have another person over there who can use the power of Chaos? Why come to me? Finding him works too. Otherwise, why is he here? For a vacation?"

Cidi looked smilingly at Holland, the Lord of Death, resting against the wall. Eliog also turned her head to look at him, while Cidi resumed his countdown as well,

"Eight... seven..."

"I..."

Holland froze slightly, subsequently exchanging a glance with Fisher. Within his pair of black eyes, Fisher read his conflicted hesitation.

Fisher knew why he would hesitate at this moment. Recalling the reason the Lord of Death followed him here: he came here seeking death. In other words, everything Fisher was facing right now actually had absolutely nothing to do with him...

Baimon, the World-Ending Prophecy, the scene of fierce conflict, the Dragon Court's crisis... none of it concerned him at all. Those were Fisher's lovers and friends, while he was merely a collaborator who had met Fisher twice.

You take my Completion Handbook, and I get to die as my heart desires. It was just that simple.

But the problem now was, the Lord of Death had just stated that the closer he got to the Base, the more the Chaos on his Completion Handbook would be triggered and amplified. Therefore, not only did he stay far away from that place himself, but he also had to warn Fisher to stay far away from that place too.

Essentially, he hadn't read much of that Completion Handbook initially, so even if he got close, the growth wouldn't be much. But the crux of the issue lay in the fact that the Chaos of the Death Completion Manual would distance him further and further from his path pursuing death. This was also the truth he told Fisher.

And now that Cidi was unwilling to help, if he were to help Fisher and replace Eliog, his pursuit of ultimate death would become increasingly difficult...

Furthermore, he had already roughly guessed what the other party had wanted to tell him earlier: there was nothing within the Demon Dynasty that could help him die.

In this brief one-second exchange of glances, Fisher had already understood the reason behind the Lord of Death's inaction at this moment. But Eliog behind him couldn't bear it any longer, immediately saying to him,

"Right, aren't you also an owner of a Completion Handbook? You..."

"Eliog, just stay here. I will go alone. You guys hurry up. If I reveal everything, it should also be able to delay for a period of time."

But Fisher didn't force the issue. The significance of death to Holland was something others couldn't comprehend. When Fisher currently couldn't produce any method to solve his undying nature for him, asking him to sacrifice for himself was clearly baseless.

"Four... three..."

"Are you serious, awooo? I see you're tired of living!"

Eliog released Cidi, who was still counting down before her. Fisher merely shot her a glance. Following that, he gently placed Eimhart, who was on his shoulder, down. His entire being instantly vanished from his spot, rushing towards the direction of the Gate of Carnal Desire.

"Professor Fisher!"

"Ouch! Fisher, take me with you! Ahhh! This is all Baimon, that damned fellow's fault! I really am..."

"Two... one..."

Hovering in mid-air, Eimhart watched Fisher vanish from his spot. Beside him, Cidi, whose complexion was somewhat pale, finished reading the final two numbers. With the end of the countdown, the trembling sounds of the entire Demon Dynasty ceased. Even the surging of the magma outside and the noisy cries of those minor demons all halted at this moment...

Because everyone present instantly felt that above the Dynasty, two extremely terrifying entities descended into Cidi's palace within the Gate of Carnal Desire.

Without the bindings of hiding in the human world, combined with having just clashed with Cidi's consciousness trying to close the door, they now had no more scruples within their own home. They unleashed their original, most terrifying, and oppressive power.

Two Demon Gods were currently right above them.

Within Baimon's palace, everyone's complexion changed slightly. Jasmine pursed her lips. Even though her face was pale and her complexion wan, she still unhesitatingly ran back to the side of that hole, using all her strength to channel her life force towards that barrier.

Because she understood that for Fisher, who traveled alone to obstruct the two Demon Gods, every second saved here meant a slightly higher probability of Fisher surviving over there.

Consequently, she also called out loudly to Eliog behind her, only her voice carried an extremely panicked, crying tone,

"Demon God Eliog!! Hurry! What are you still waiting for!?"

"...Tch!"

Eliog's complexion was unpleasant, yet she had no time to settle scores with the Lord of Death and Cidi, who disappointed her at this moment.

Actually, truly looking into it, she also knew these two had no logical or emotional reason to help them. She couldn't harbor resentment just because things didn't go her way, but facing the crisis currently, possessing a bit of a grudge amidst the panic was also normal.

She didn't say anything either, just hastily turning back as Jasmine hoped, preparing to continue breaking Baimon's barrier.

And to the side, the expressionless Lord of Death leaning against the wall surface was currently gazing at the doorway Fisher vanished from. Looking at Eimhart lingering there spinning anxiously like a top, looking at Jasmine staying before the hole, striving with all her might to break the barrier despite her pale face, and looking at the taciturn Demon God Eliog suppressing her anger...

They were certainly all doing this for Fisher, that was a matter of course...

Only at this very moment, for some unknown reason, a trace of... envy towards Fisher suddenly surfaced within Holland's heart.

He suddenly couldn't recall. Couldn't recall why he left his hometown in the first place.

Was it because of starvation? Was it because he didn't want to watch the girl he loved marry a middle-aged man she didn't love? Was it to escape the ceaseless wars in the eastern part of the West Continent?

It had truly been too long. Yet he remembered the reason why he wanted to die deeply.

Because...

"Click..."

Silently, he took out a cigarette from his breast pocket and lit it. Following a moment of hesitation, he took a deep drag of the fragrance of tobacco, because the scent of saltpeter here was truly too unbearable.

Then, just as Eliog raised her hand preparing to continue breaking the barrier, he swiftly walked over. Clutching his own chest, he crouched opposite them. Reaching his hand through the thin veil entwined by the crimson mist and tobacco smoke, he spoke in a low voice,

"Demon God Eliog, quickly go. This Priest Lord and I will break the barrier."

Eliog froze slightly, following which the tail behind her swayed. She didn't say anything more, only casting a grateful glance at him. Subsequently, she abruptly stood up, dashing fiercely outside.

"Boom!"

Cidi remained sitting on the ground smiling. Following that, he merely blew a whistle, patted the dust off himself, and stood up,

"Alright, alright, I'll temporarily leave this place to you guys. I should also go reunite with my husband... Oh course, that's after everything ends. Farewell, two little guys."

"..."

Neither the Lord of Death nor Jasmine replied to him. Both of them merely placed their entire focus on the barrier before them.

As the Lord of Death brought out the Death Completion Manual bound to himself from his chest, under the lingering of that crimson mist, the undying Chaos within his body grew increasingly restless and uneasy, urged into action like an ulcer attached to the bone.

He could feel Hela of Death distancing further and further away from him, becoming increasingly resistant towards him as well...

The Lord of Death silently sighed, yet quickly cast it to the back of his mind, destroying Baimon's barrier alongside Jasmine.

At this moment, within the Gate of Victory of the Demon Dynasty that had already regained its silence, inside Eliog's Castle, a letter that had originally been resting very quietly on the bedside table had—some unknown time ago—fluttered down onto the floor like a gust of wind had passed.

And after landing on the ground, it still wouldn't rest. Upon that letter, the black text originally filled with words of gratitude towards Eliog became muddled and spread open bit by bit, like it had been smudged by water. Until the black ink stain grew larger and larger, expanding to be as wide as a puddle of water...

"Plop!"

In the next second, a hand entirely wrapped in bandages, looking like a withered stick, abruptly thrust out from within that ink stain. It firmly grasped the floorboards beside it, using it as a fulcrum to slowly crawl upwards piece by piece, taking his entire body crawling out from within that ink stain.

"Hoh... hoh... hoh..."

That figure covered in bandages continuously panted. Then suddenly opening his mouth, he spat out a feather pen made of metal from his stomach.

A strange, ethereal light circled that feather pen; it appeared to be some kind of Holy Artifact forged by an Angel.

"Hah... using this Holy Artifact is truly agonizing... but at least I'm in... excellent... excellent..."

This person was precisely the other undying human hiding and camping outside, Solomon.

"Alright, well then, where is that thing? The sigil symbolizing the First Pillar behind the gate..."

Solomon surveyed his surroundings, continuously sniffing with his sunken nose. Until quite a while later, he finally looked at one of the pillows casually tossed aside on the messy bed.

It's hidden right there!

His eyes lit up slightly. Following that, he hurriedly ran over to pick up that pillow, tearing it apart regardless of everything, sending all the goose feathers inside flying about randomly.

And at the very end, amidst those goose feathers, he finally saw a stone sigil emitting a crimson light, shaped similarly to a key.

"Excellent! I found it! This last one! This is the final one..."

Solomon was practically on the verge of shedding tears. As if holding some kind of treasure, he pressed it against his seemingly skin-and-bones chest. Subsequently, resembling a madman, he pushed open the gates of Eliog's palace, running outside, arriving outside Eliog's courtyard.

Looking at the wooden signboard on the ground outside that had already been tossed aside by Fisher, he stepped on it hatefully while gritting his teeth, subsequently saying,

"Hah, with so many Demon Gods in the Dynasty, you're the only one who had to lock up your palace with a barrier... didn't expect it, did you? I was still able to enter, haha... haha..."

"She locked the door merely to prevent her own nature from affecting others. Therefore, she set up a barrier on this door sign. Only her and those possessing her sigil are able to enter."

Solomon's joy suddenly came to an abrupt end. Hearing that smiling female voice echoing from behind, his entire body shuddered. Swifter than thought itself, his body suddenly knelt forcefully onto the ground, knocking his head on the floor. Aiming towards the entity behind him whose figure he hadn't clearly seen yet, his voice trembling, he said,

"L-Lord Baimon, I-I have already followed your instructions. For these thousands of years, aside from yours, I have entered all nine of the other gates and retrieved the First Pillar's sigils... I've truly worked very, very hard. Th-this is the final one, p-please inspect it... p-please... please inspect it."

"Oh, oh, I know. You've died tens of thousands of times for this, right. Although the palaces of the other Demon Gods didn't have entry-denial restrictions set up like Eliog's, the mechanisms, traps, and magic within were innumerable..."

Solomon prostrated himself on the ground, feeling the figure before him drawing ever closer. Not even daring to lift his head, he simply raised the sigil emitting the crimson light above with both hands, only smiling and saying,

"Please don't tease me... you should know, for an undying person like me... as long as I can die... I will do whatever you ask me to do..."

"True, because you have forgotten why you want to live. Because everything that kept you alive has already vanished like smoke. Because immortality is a curse; it allows you to return to the bodily state when you acquired it countless times, and it also permanently freezes your heart at that moment, rendering you unable to accept any new goals, any new relationships, any new existence..."

Solomon's body trembled involuntarily. He seemed to be weeping silently, yet because he appeared to have forgotten even the action of crying itself, he could only allow his body to quiver along with the despair and endless agony in his heart.

He said no more, only holding the sigil higher up. Then, in an almost pleading tone, he spoke subserviently to the figure before him,

"Lord Baimon... I have already completed the task you assigned... P-please sentence me to death..."

"No rush, Solomon."

"...D-do you... do you still need me to do anything else? Please state it, I will definitely go do it, absolutely anything! As long as... as long as I can..."

Solomon raised his head blankly. Entering his vision was precisely that pristine existence, barefoot yet floating slightly, never touching the ground.

She was draped in a pure, holy robe. Her appearance was peerlessly beautiful. The crown atop her head also radiated a gospel-like light leading humanity to heaven.

Her smile was benevolent and gentle, seemingly the sole hope in this world, the sole light...

Yet, she raised her index finger, smilingly interrupting the final reading of that word "death" Solomon was about to state. As if that word was far too inauspicious, as if that word was far too heartless and cruel.

"Shh..."

"Yes, yes, please instruct me..."

Solomon once again knocked his head onto the ground, but his hands, raised high holding the sigil to the First Pillar of Eliog's Gate of Victory, remained elevated, having never been lowered.

"I indeed still require you to do one final thing. But I swear on the name of 'Baimon', this is genuinely the final thing. Moreover, it is extremely simple."

"Yes, yes, please instruct me..."

Baimon not only didn't retract the sigil he offered, but conversely, like an angel, she gently plucked a sigil similarly radiating golden light from her hand, landing it softly upon Solomon's palm.

Sensing that cool sigil entering his hand, Solomon's frame also couldn't help but tremble slightly once again. And Baimon's voice also came forth again,

"Holding these sigils allows one to open their corresponding ten gates; this is a profound secret known only by the four Monarchs and the six First Pillars behind the gates. And your task is very simple as well. I want you to open these doors one by one. And then, you will be able to obtain what you desire... Can you do it, Solomon?"

Solomon's raised hands slowly clenched tight into fists. He inhaled a deep breath, seemingly trying to bury his face into the dirt. Several seconds later, he answered word by word,

"I swear to complete your bidding, Lord Baimon!"