(23) Shattered Demon

Luram swallowed in fear. He begrudgingly followed Iovoi with the wagon in tow. Right now, he felt a shivering cold air that intensified his fear sharply, making his hair stand on end.

Meanwhile, Owen… Owen already left. Whoever that Iovoi was, it was clear that he is no match against them. And right now, he had zero confidence fighting a demon and understandably so.

He even received a quest by discovering what Luram was on about.

==========

[Level 87 Quest Series: Mending A Shattered Demon]

Objective: Investigate what Iovoi and Luram are doing.

Failure Condition: Getting caught or dying.

Consequence For Failure: Death.

Rewards: +500 Experience, Unlock the next quest.]

==========

"Hell no." Owen flicked the panel away. Dying right now isn't on his to do list.

He may be acting like a coward, but at least a coward lives. Owen didn't care what that Iovoi was planning because it was in no way his business.

He climbed down the rooftop and began running like the wind.

"…"

"He disappeared." The deep voice of a man spoke as it 'glanced' at the direction Owen was escaping.

"Allow that insignificant bug to wriggle away. It's impossible for him to do anything remarkable at his current level to begin with." The young woman said disdainfully.

The old man was irritated by her unmindful outlook. "Did you forget what got us into this mess? It was because of your deliberate ignorance that provided the same humans you despise the necessary clues to figure out our true identity as a demon."

The young maiden chuckled cold-heartedly. "You're thinking too much. That human might not know that we are a demon? Or are you perhaps in a state of paranoia?"

Giving out an exhausted sigh, the old man said, "I may have believed that if it weren't for the peculiar movements he exhibited. Do you not think that an ordinary human would stay longer to satisfy their curiosity? That human left the moment we came into his sights. My intuition is saying that he isn't what we consider…. Ordinary."

"Then go chase after that human. I'm not stopping you." The young maiden rolled Iovoi's eyes.

"What did we agree on about shared control? I didn't give you permission for that." The old man's tone became icy.

"What? It was just a small gesture and you're this angry already?" The young maiden sounded exactly as if she was wronged.

The old man let it pass for now. "You can do anything you want, just remember not to overstep your boundaries."

"I understand…" The young maiden sighed. "I cannot believe that you're a part of my personality."

"The feeling is mutual." Said the old man.

"However, if we want to survive, we need to leave this decaying body and find a new one... We cannot let a single threat exist no matter how small they are."

A surge of black mist escaped Iovoi's body and flew towards Owen's direction, leaving the young maiden with full control over the body.

"Finally, he's no longer here to bother me… I can finally operate in my preferred direction." Iovoi smiled widely under the mask.

Luram shivered. A sudden gust of cold air brushed past his nape. "Wh- wh- what was that?"

"Oh, ignore it. It is not something that you are qualified to pay close attention to." Now that Iovoi's other half is gone, the young maiden's voice was the only remaining sound to be heard.

"I'm sorry for asking something I shouldn't.." Luram lowered his head and asked, "What kind of person should I get for the ritual?"

Iovoi paused and thought for a moment, "It would be the best if the ritual material is a young beautiful woman. Preferably a virgin too."

Luram nodded and said, "I think I have someone that you'd like… But to capture her, I'd need your help."

"Ah! That is terrific. Very well then, lead the way human.." Iovoi's entire demeanor changed. Her body language was no longer static but more feminine.

— Meanwhile at Owen's location…

Owen was staring at the panel in front of him.

==========

[Level 87 Quest Series: Mending A Shattered Demon - Subquest]

[Hunter And Prey]

Subquest Objective: You are being hunted down by Iovoi's split personality. Make sure to escape or survive in a creative way.

(Optional) Extra Objective: Kill Iovoi's split personality.

Failure Condition: Death.

Consequence For Failure: Death.

Subquest Rewards: +250 EXP.

Extra Rewards: +8,700 EXP, +1 Skill Point.]

==========

"…"

Owen was currently standing in front of a large house with a neat appearance. The lights were turned off, but he could faintly hear the sound of a woman moaning.

People have their own needs, so there is no need to judge.

He was more worried about the warning the quest gave him.

"What did I get myself into?" Owen felt as if he was thrown into the middle of the ocean with nothing to cling on. Every single second that he spent was equal to him sinking deep down the water.

He equipped his hauberk. Every piece of protection counts in more ways than one.

Owen was anxious. He didn't know when that Iovoi person would appear.

There was only one place in Wiunlen where he might survive if he stayed close to it.

The Guard Barracks!

Immediately, Owen began to run towards the middle of the city. If anything, they might have a guard or two who can use soul energy. They would be the only ones who can truly repel demons such as Iovoi.

But killing them would be impossible. The highest level that guards of Wiunlen could possibly get is under 55. Fighting a level 87 demon with them would be difficult, but not impossible.

Owen didn't hesitate and ran with his full speed.

Not too far away, black mist with the appearance of a hooded old man flew after Owen. The mist roughly formed his figure which was enough to show some of his features.

The old man squinted.

"There you are…"

He then reached out his hand, a purple magic circle materialized and spun in his hand, shooting out a glowing mark aiming towards Owen's back.

*Fssshhia*

The mark made a whistling sound as it sped through the air. Owen was too slow to dodge it at all.

When the mark struck his back, he immediately received a panel.

==========

[Iovoi (Level 87) has cursed you with [Paralytic Fear-5]

Your soul defense isn't high enough to defend against the curse. [Paralytic Fear-5] is successfully applied to you.

==========

(Debuff) "Iovoi" Paralytic Fear-5

(1) Character is now paralyzed with fear, affecting one's capabilities greatly.

-75% Movement Speed, -65% Attack Speed, -20% Critical Damage, -20% Critical Rate, -15% Soul Defense, -20% Physical Defense, -25% Block Effectiveness, -10% Detection.

Duration: 7 Days.

(Class Ability Activated)

(1) Character is now invigorated with bravery, affecting one's capabilities greatly.

+75% Movement Speed, +65% Attack Speed, +20% Critical Damage, +20% Critical Rate, +15% Soul Defense, +20% Physical Defense, +25% Block Effectiveness, +10% Detection.]

==========

Iovoi didn't stop there, he snapped his fingers together and a 2 meter long black drill-shaped thorn solidified from the mist.

The thorn flew towards Owen's head. Iovoi wasn't really expecting anything. For all he knew, Owen was dead after this.

Demons are truly sinister beings. Their main attacking method consists of curses and applying debuffs. Little did Iovoi know, Owen is the perfect counter against all demons!

*Whoosh!*

Owen sensed the thorn approaching and quickly dodged out of the way. The cobblestone road that he was standing on had cracked under the powerful spell.

Once he landed, Owen resumed his dash towards the barracks.

Iovoi was taken aback. He was sure the curse hit Owen squarely on his back, so why was he able to still run? And to his surprise, Owen was running faster this time?

"If you thought that fleeing would do you any good, you are sorely mistaken!" Iovoi flung his hood, controlling a portion of the black mist from his body to chase after Owen.

As the mist swooped down with the intention to kill Owen, the mist turned green midway. Eventually, it condensed into a liquid that splattered all over Owen.

==========

(Debuff) Acid Melt-2

(1) The character will slowly melt under the acid, constantly taking damage until it fades. -5% HP every 4.5 seconds, -2% Movement Speed.

(2) Equipped armor affected by the acid will lose a maximum of 14 durability every 4.5 seconds. (Varies depending on material)

(3) If the character takes enough damage from the acid, [Weakness] will be applied as well.

Duration: 15 Seconds.

(Class Ability Activated)

(1) The character will slowly regenerate under the acid, constantly healing damage until it fades. +5% HP every 4.5 seconds, +2% Movement Speed.

(2) Equipped armor affected by the acid will receive a maximum of 14 durability every 4.5 seconds. (Varies depending on material)

(3) If the character doesn't take enough damage from the acid, [Weakness] will not be applied.

==========

'Are you here to kill me or help me?' Owen found it amusing that all of Iovoi's methods were being countered by him that easily.

As the debuff took effect, Owen's clothes and armor started to 'regrow' missing parts. The chains on his hauberk started to shift and fix themselves into the right place. If there was a missing chain, the hauberk would 'grow' it out of nothing.

This similarly affected his clothes. The threads began joining together as if they had a life of their own. No one would be able to see the area where Yuhmbir stabbed Owen anymore.

It was even better for Owen. He was healing even though he isn't in need of any healing. So, all the acid could do was sizzle into steam until it disappeared without inflicting any damage at all.

Iovoi's expression was incredulous, he couldn't comprehend what just happened.

The supposed human that was splashed with acid didn't dissolve into a pink mush. Instead, Owen merely shrugged it off as he ran!

He was now certain that Owen is something else entirely. Someone who can shrug off acid couldn't possibly be human unless they are strong enough to handle it. But Owen is out of the question since his presence is enough to indicate that he isn't strong.

In fact, Iovoi found out that his presence was rather… weak.

"I am done playing games with you." Iovoi made up his mind and dived down.

With his speed, he was able to catch up to Owen in under a few seconds. Even with all the boosts Owen had at the moment, it wasn't enough to outrun Iovoi.

Iovoi changed his shape into a trail of mist, immediately circling Owen before reforming into the shape of an old man in front of him.

He then spread his cloak like wings and summoned a number of black, misty spheres that reshaped into thorns all pointing towards Owen.

"Nowhere to run now… Do you have any last words before I riddle your flesh with holes?" Iovoi raised his chin while looking down on Owen haughtily.

Iovoi observed the human before him. He was still skeptical about his origins.

Owen squinted, revealed a smile and with helplessness in his voice, said, "Respected Iovoi, it seems that I cannot outrun you with this body. Do you have in you to spare this vessel of mine?"

Iovoi paused. He wasn't expecting that the human knew of his name. Iovoi also noticed that the human mentioned the word vessel.

Lifting an eyebrow, he asked, "And you are?"

"Ah, I am Ivorius… I recognize you, you're under his command, the esteemed Baron Praest, isn't that right?" Owen imitated the speech patterns that demons of nobility spoke with.

Iovoi was shocked that the human, or demon… recognized him. "Why were you running away from me?"

Owen pleaded his case. "I thought you were going to kill my vessel. Do you know how much of a hassle it is to convert another human as my puppet?"

"Is that so?" Iovoi nodded to himself as he found the alibi to be quite reasonable.

"Yes, I happened to sense your demonic aura, so I checked it out for myself. Turns out it was you." Owen shrugged.

Iovoi was now convinced. He flicked his hand down, lowering the thorns and said, "Ivorius, if my actions have been impolite, I would like to apologize. You see, I am in a concerning predicament and nothing can go wrong. That explains my actions for the pursuit of your vessel."

Owen began to speak with his hands held behind his back. "I do not mind what you've done since I might do the same if I was in your position. And say, what predicament would put you in such stress?" He then raised his eyebrows.

Iovoi dispelled the thorns by gathering them back into his body. "After an unfortunate series of events occurred during a mission, my soul has been damaged, causing two of my main personalities to split."

"I'm assuming your other personality is away with that human?" Owen filled in the gaps.

Iovoi's body of mist nodded. "You are correct. I was fortunate to survive, but as you can see, I am still doing my best to recover to my peak state."

Owen smiled once more. "Perhaps I can help. My master and Baron Praest are in no way enemies nor are they allies. Changing that and giving each faction aid is beneficial, don't you think?"

Iovoi's dark eyes began to gleam. "That would be very appreciated. However, don't you have an important mission to do as well?"

Owen waved his hand as if to say that his worries are unneeded. "Helping a fellow demon is not going to take up much of my time. I assure you, I am most willing to help as long as you ask me to." Owen's words were filled with a sense of camaraderie, it was nothing but sweet lies that Iovoi ate out of desperation.

"Yes, your help is going to ease so many of my worries… Please, follow me." Iovoi hovered before Owen and gestured towards a certain direction.

Iovoi fully believed that Owen was truly a demon's vessel. Because of the accident that damaged his soul, he was starting to feel desperate.

After being chased down by forces of mankind, he was separated from the others and was forced to hide and recuperate in Wiunlen without a way to contact the Demon Baron Praest. So, for 'Ivorius' to know his name and recognize his master, that means he was also a demon with a high enough ranking.

That explained the curse immunity and being unaffected by acid. It all made sense for Iovoi's head when he thought back.

"You can fly ahead there, I'll try to catch up." Owen said while looking at Iovoi who was next to him.

"Are you sure? Humans are fragile… especially this vessel of yours. I'm not sure it can handle being put under immense pressure." Iovoi floated around Owen to spot any injuries that he might have caused.

"My soul energy is enough to provide the strength this vessel needs. Lead the way, hopefully I don't slow you down." Owen gave him the 'go ahead' signal.

"That is an interesting spell you have there… I don't sense your demonic aura in this vessel's body. How did you do it?" Iovoi asked with curiosity.

Owen coughed awkwardly. He didn't think that far when he was lying his way out. "This technique that I'm using is something that I call, 'Demonic Puppetry.'"

"I can control my vessel from far away with this technique. But since this is an ancestral technique passed to me by my father, I don't know about the specifics. Only those old monsters in my clan might know." Since Owen already made up a lie, it didn't matter if he expanded the story.

"I see…" Iovoi didn't suspect a thing. "I will now fly ahead. Do not lose track of my figure."

Owen nodded in response. "I won't."

Hearing Owen's confirmation, Iovoi flew towards his other half.

Owen unequipped his hauberk and ran with all his might. Iovoi was purposely slowing himself down so that he could catch up.

What a considerate guy.

Owen sighed, that was too close. If he didn't adapt to the situation quick enough, he was sure that he would've died. But since he earned Iovoi's trust, he might as well try to see if he could complete the entire series of quests.

He viewed the quest details and saw that it was completed.

[You have completed - Level 87 Subquest: Hunter And Prey]

+250 Experience.]

[Performance Rating: A]

*Vhoom..*

[You have leveled up!]

[Level 2 > 3]

"…"

While he was following Iovoi, Owen multitasked and opened his attributes.

He allocated the 4 points to speed and one to strength. Since he was still in the early stages of the game, these two were the best stats to increase.

==========

---[Attributes]---

[Strength - 6]

[Speed - 8]

[Defense - 4]

[Intelligence - 2]

[Fortitude - 4 + (1)]

[Detection - 4]

[Luck - 2]

Available Points: 0

==========

'This Iovoi is really generous… Not only did he give me free armor repairs, he even made me level up.' Owen laughed loudly in his mind.

— Undbok Deep Forest…

Luram pulled the wagon with sweat dripping down his face. A woman tied up in hemp rope was being transported by him.

She was the chosen material for the ritual.

"What is taking that fellow so long? By now, he should have gotten rid of that pest…" The female Iovoi was getting impatient. She stomped her feet as she walked to express her annoyance like a child.

Luram noticed Iovoi's sudden change, but he didn't turn his head back in fear that she might lash out.

As Iovoi was grumbling in her mind, she felt a certain presence being hidden by some kind of stealth magic. She looked back and saw two black shadows shrouder by black mist.

When the mist unraveled, she saw Owen and the male Iovoi together.

"Eh?" She stood there, not knowing how to respond.

"It's fine, this person here is Ivorius, a demon. And he's here to help us." The old man explained.

The female Iovoi was skeptical, "And how did he manage to fool you?"

"Hmph." The old man didn't bother explaining and entered the main body.

Iovoi's main body convulsed as if he was being electrocuted before calming down.

"I did not miss your presence at all." The young maiden spoke with a scoff.

"Nor did I…" The old man obviously hated being with her.

Owen looked at them bicker back and forth. He touched his chin and asked, "So, Iovoi… are you a man or a woman?"

"Male."

"Female."

"..."

"This body is male, you can check the genitals to confirm it." Said the old man. He knew to himself that the true Iovoi is male and the young maiden is a mere manifestation of his personality breaking apart.

"Not anymore." The young maiden snickered.

"What did I say about shared control?!? You never listen, don't you? I can't believe I was ever this insufferable!" The old man couldn't handle it anymore. He shouted at her with unconcealed rage.

"You can change it back, what did I do that was so wrong? In my eyes, all you want is full control!" The young maiden snarled back.

Owen merely watched from the side. Now he understood why the old man was grateful for him offering his help.

He glanced at Luram and saw an unconscious woman with her hands and legs tied up. Her mouth was gagged with a piece of cloth as her eyes darted around with tears.

Quickly averting his gaze, Owen was more interested in finishing his quest.

"Hey." Owen called out to Iovoi.

"Hmm?" Iovoi stopped arguing with themselves and paused to look at Owen.

"What kind of ritual are you planning to do? I cannot assist you if I have no clue what it is." Owen held his hands behind his back to get into character.

The male Iovoi recounted his conversation with Owen, explaining everything to the female Iovoi.

"Ah, I see now… Ivorius is an ally. Please forgive me for my earlier actions." The young maiden said apologetically.

The old man coughed twice and said, "Our plan is to fuse our souls into this amulet." Iovoi touched the purple amulet full of gemstones that sparkled with an attractive feel to it.

"After that, our fused souls will enter a vessel to use as our new body." The old man added.

"Speaking of which, what kind of vessel did you get for us?" The old man asked the young maiden.

"See for yourself." The young maiden giggled.

The old man had a bad feeling. He walked towards the wagon, ignored the shivering Luram and saw the weeping young woman.

Dark lines filled his face.

"Of course this is what you picked… I should've known."