Chapter 189 Someone's Mad About Being A Slave

"DAMNIT! THAT BASTARD!" A fierce and utterly enraged voice burst out in a vast tent.

It belonged to Adu the Malevolent, and his body was shrouded in wicked purple Miasma. His eyes were bloodshot, and his body itched to destroy everything in sight, but a certain 'contract' restricted him from doing so.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!!!"

With each vulgar word he spat out, his rage rise to new heights, and the space around him was beginning to twist in accordance with his deep animosity.

The large tent he was currently in was the Hero's property, which made him unable to unleash his wrath as he desired.

The city was under his protection, preventing him from releasing the pent-up rage that wanted to swallow him whole.

He could have left, but... his contract ensured he remained in the vicinity at all times.

Adu felt like he would go insane just from having to hear the indescribable feeling of humiliation he endured daily.

"Be quiet, Adu. You should get some rest rather than whining. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow." Hogun murmured as he slept on his mattress.

The lion headed Demon's eyes were closed, but he was clearly aware of the deep frown that Adu responded with.

"Y-you... how can you say that? Are you saying you're not the least bit upset at that mere human's treatment of us? The nerve he ha—"

Hogun stopped Adu with a heavy sigh that showed how tired he was of the constant whining and curses.

"What treatment exactly? Giving us a decent place to rest our heads, giving us moderately easier tasks to perform, giving us feeding and refusing to treat us like our status connotes?"

Adu was rendered speechless by his comrade's statement—not for lack of words, but due to sheer surprise.

"You... you're actually defending him?!"

"We're slaves, Adu! Or have you forgotten how we were at his mercy and he decided to spare our lives? Have you forgotten how he easily crushed our forces?" Hogun was exasperated at this point.

"He killed my father!"

"Your father tried to kill him and the people he was protecting. Do you not see the hypocrisy? He did everything to protect these people? Have you seen how happy they are with the Hero? How they treasure and honor him with genuine love? Did you ever experience something like that in the Demon Realm?"

"Shut up! Hogun, how dare you wave off my father's death? He... that Hero is the bane of our existence! How can you be okay with serving him?"

Adu was nearly in tears at this point. Many emotions and memories played into his head as he fought back the salty liquid that formed in his eyes.

"Father promised me recognition after this mission. Do you know how hard I worked? Do you know how much I strived to achieve what I did? Yet, he... that bastard... damnit!"

More throes of powerless regret and hate seared the tent's interior.

"Quit your whining already." This time, another voice intercepted the young Demon's loud voice.

It belonged to the third Demon who currently occupied the tent—Heshu.

"What?"

"I said quit your whining—no, should I call it hitching?"

Adu's eyes turned bloodshot as he stared at the older Demon who was busy reading a book on his mattress.

There were five mattresses in the room, and because two remained unoccupied due to the Hero currently meeting with Pierrus and Kiko, the three Demons had the place to themselves.

Heshu's space was the furthest away from Adu's, but the animosity between the two could be felt from a distance.

"Hey, old man... don't you dare think you're shit. I don't believe I ever talked to you."

Heshu sighed, shaking his head as he turned the page of the book he seemed to be enjoying.

Perhaps his intention wasn't to tick Adu off, but by doing that, the frustrated Demon's anger rose to a new height.

"Hey! I'm talking to you, don't ignore me!"

At this point, Adu began marching in Heshu's direction. As the Hero's slaves, they weren't allowed to harm one another, but there was no way the so called 'Malevolent' Demon could tolerate such gross disrespect.

"HEY!"

Now standing right in front of Heshu, Adu's fuming face drew closer to the former and attempted to yank the book from him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Shut up and—"

>BZZZZTTTTZZZZZ<

"ARRRGGHHHH!!!" Adu's scream permeated the whole tent as black bolts of lightning coursed through his body.

Having a weaker physique than the other Demons, and being without any layer of protection, he couldn't withstand the heavy currents that assailed his body.

As a result—

"Y-you... bas.... urghhh..."

—He passed out.

>THUD<

Adu's body fell heavily on the ground, and Heshu ignored him completely—focusing his gaze on the literature he kept digesting.

"How did you do that? We're not capable of attacking one another, right?" Hogun managed to ask despite being utterly dazed by the situation.

After a moment of silence, Heshu shrugged and averted his gaze toward the sleeping the Demon.

"I simply enchanted my book with a strong Magic Effect that prevents any unauthorized person from taking it. That's technically not Magic directed against any one of you."

Hogun was speechless. He hadn't yet thought of a loophole like that.

"Finally we can have some peace and quiet. If advice you to save your strength and contemplate the journey we'll be taking tomorrow."

Hogun gulped and nodded, though something about what Heshu said—or perhaps how he said it—got the lion headed Demon confused.

"What's there to contemplate about, though?"

The older Demon smiled, his wrinkly face forming an amused expression. Even then, his eyes still had a hint of caution.

"We're now subordinates of the Hero, making us enemies of the Demon Race. Keep that in mind as we go on whatever quest decided by our master's wishes."

With that final statement made, Heshu returned his attention to his book and paid nothing else around him heed.

And even after minutes of silence; after Kiko and Pierrus returned and filled the room with more conversation; after Adu woke up and threw his usual tantrums; and then everyone went to sleep....

... Hogun couldn't forget Heshu's words and what they implied.

"... Enemies of the Demon Race, huh?"