There are times like that, are there not?
You like a novel, but you do not particularly care for its protagonist.
For Kranol, ‘EX-Rank Demonic Beast Hunter’ was precisely that kind of novel.
‘An Infinite Possessor who constantly smokes cigars and is consumed by vengeance.’
That single sentence defined its deranged protagonist.
As for why Kranol had still read the entire novel from beginning to end, the answer was simple.
His favorite character had been someone else.
‘In any case, this is unpleasant. I did not want to meet him because he is so extreme.’
Kranol knew the original protagonist well.
He also knew how horrifyingly dangerous that man was.
‘In the original novel, anyone can become the protagonist.’
That might have sounded hopeful, but its meaning was entirely different.
In truth, it was a deeply chilling statement.
‘EX-Rank Demonic Beast Hunter. That title refers to the protagonist, the Infinite Possessor.’
『Infinite Possession』.
As the name implied, he could not die and instead repeatedly possessed new bodies.
The original protagonist could possess anything he wanted.
‘It is not entirely without restrictions. At present, he is limited to beings on this continent.’
Several of those restrictions would be removed as the story progressed, but that was still far in the future.
In any case, Infinite Possession was not without a price.
The farther away and more powerful the creature was, the greater the sacrifice required to possess it.
He had to expend the precious ‘Soul Resources’ he accumulated by hunting all manner of Demonic Beasts.
Possessing one of the continent's great powers or a Superior Species such as a dragon required enough Soul Resources to equal the deaths of more than ten thousand goblins.
“That is why the protagonist usually possesses the bodies of the recently deceased. Possessing them requires the least sacrifice.”
By expending his accumulated Soul Resources, he could possess a corpse, restore its injuries, and move around in it.
Naturally, such an absurd feat was only possible with the assistance of a transcendent being.
That man was deeply loved by the Guardian Star that had bestowed ‘Infinite Possession’ upon him.
‘That is not all. The Infinite Possessor can wield monstrous power even with a worthless body.’
The original protagonist had accumulated overwhelming knowledge and experience throughout his countless possessions.
As a result, he could boldly draw out the Potential of even the most wretched corpse.
The previous battle was a perfect example.
The elite alchemist Bineureban Will.
He had been one of the favorites to win the Alchemical War, but he had not possessed enough ability to dominate an entire battlefield alone.
The moment the original protagonist possessed him, however, even the mighty Dragon-Tooth Soldier had been reduced to firewood.
‘Swordsmanship, alchemy, Magic, military strategy, Archery……. There is nothing he cannot do. He has passed through countless bodies.’
True to his title as the Infinite Possessor, he had stolen innumerable bodies.
That was why Kranol had no choice but to remain wary of him.
‘When I say anyone can become the protagonist, I mean that he can plunder anyone's body.’
As long as the Infinite Possessor possessed sufficient Soul Resources, he could steal any body.
It was undoubtedly an ability terrifying enough for the protagonist of the original novel.
Looking at the man standing before him made Kranol's throat go dry.
Nevertheless, he feigned ignorance and spoke calmly.
“Why are you suddenly asking me for a cigar?”
“People suffering from terrible pain usually keep either cigarettes or hard liquor hidden somewhere.”
“…….”
Kranol was rendered speechless by that appalling prejudice.
The original protagonist tilted his head.
“How strange. My Guardian Star told me there would be a substantial Reward if I came here. But I searched through every piece of the Dragon-Tooth Soldier's remains and found nothing valuable. Perhaps I burned it too thoroughly.”
The voice belonged to Bineureban, but his manner of speaking was much gentler.
His personality appeared considerably friendlier than that of the body's original owner.
However, Kranol did not lower his guard.
“Did you obtain anything after killing the Dragon-Tooth Soldier? My Guardian Star is very solemn and rarely lies. There must have been something.”
“I obtained something called the Regeneration Orb. However, it has already been absorbed into my body. Regrettably, there is no way for me to give it to you.”
The original protagonist nodded without complaint.
“Ah, is that so? Then it cannot be helped. I should have taken the final blow against that creature. What a pity.”
He leaned against the wall and clicked his tongue.
His frivolous behavior felt deeply unfamiliar.
It was something the original Bineureban would never have done.
“Mister! This alchemist paid your hospital expenses and rented this room for you!”
“……!”
The perceptive Chubby had already activated Invisibility and concealed herself.
Plumpy, however, approached the man with innocent friendliness.
Cold sweat suddenly ran down Kranol's back.
“Hee! I thought he was a bad person because he killed our Rolly, but he has a surprisingly good side too! But why did he suddenly become so simple and good-natured? That brutal war must have changed this alchemist!”
“Oh, I see.”
The original protagonist smiled.
He gently stroked the dull blond hair of the girl who had approached him.
“By the way.”
At first, his hand remained on her hair.
Then his fingers moved downward and pinched her earlobe.
“While you were unconscious, this hospital room positively reeked of Demonic Beasts.”
“……Huh? Aaargh!”
Plumpy flinched and began struggling.
The original protagonist squeezed and pulled her earlobe.
“Th-that hurts! Stop pulling my ear! You are going to tear it off!”
Plumpy screamed and swung her hand.
However, nothing emerged from it.
The child's eyes widened in bewilderment.
“What? Why can I not use Black Lightning? My Mana has been depleted! I did not even do anything! Why? Why?!”
“You cannot deceive my eyes. You used a Hatchling during the war, did you not? This little girl does not appear to be human either. Both of them seemed to be fighting for you. Did you tame them?”
The original protagonist asked gently.
Kranol did not answer his question.
He merely seized the man's wrist with a rigid expression.
“Let her go. Right now.”
“Hmm. You suddenly stopped speaking politely?”
“Act like someone deserving of politeness, and I will use it.”
Kranol tightened his grip.
He squeezed until the man's wrist lost all color.
However, the original protagonist's expression did not change in the slightest.
The two silently glared at each other for a long while.
“…….”
The original protagonist was the first to relent.
He released the girl, who had begun to sniffle.
Plumpy hurriedly threw herself into Kranol's arms, sobbing.
“Waaah! M-Mister……! It hurt! Hic! I thought my ear was going to be torn off!”
Kranol held the child protectively and glared at him.
“Are you trying to start a fight?”
“Ah. Sorry. I should calm down. They are young Demonic Beasts you use to kill other Demonic Beasts, are they not? That kind should be permitted.”
The original protagonist released a long breath and struck his chest several times.
Then, he shamelessly returned to normal and grinned amicably.
“Try to understand. I have a chronic condition that makes me want to blow up every Demonic Beast I see.”
“Shut up and get out.”
“I even brought a basket of apples for my hospital visit.”
“Get out.”
The man scratched his cheek and turned away.
Just as he opened the door to leave the hospital room, the original protagonist suddenly stopped.
“Let me give you some advice from experience. Do not create something you will regret.”
Then he spoke in an offhand manner.
“They may be young and adorable now, but those Calamities cannot be tamed. Demonic Beasts are humanity's eternal enemies. One careless mistake, and they will turn on you instead. Do nothing more than use them. Kill them before the future goes wrong. That is the proper way to use them.”
His tone was so calm that it made the words even more chilling.
Kranol growled in a low voice.
“Stay out of it. I will handle my own affairs.”
The original protagonist shrugged.
Then he left the hospital room.
“Rrah! Rooooar!”
Chubby hurriedly deactivated her Invisibility and licked away Plumpy's tears.
Kranol continued glaring at the spot where the original protagonist had disappeared.
Even after meeting him in person, he remained an insufferable bastard.
***
Mayor Koldo visited him that afternoon.
He politely thanked Kranol for protecting the metropolis.
He then delivered a piece of good news.
“An award ceremony?”
“Yes. You played an extraordinary role in this great Alchemical War, Mr. Kranol.”
The possessed original protagonist had burned the Dragon-Tooth Soldier to pieces, while Kranol had delivered the final blow.
In recognition of their contributions, the metropolis of Aletica had decided to present them with commemorative plaques.
“Since the competition could not be held, it would be a shame to let the grand prize go unused, would it not? Our city council has therefore decided to grant a joint award to Mr. Kranol and Lord Bineureban.”
It seemed excessively generous, but Kranol could roughly guess the reason.
The metropolis must have calculated the benefits it would receive as well.
‘It is probably intended for public appearances.’
The citizens had been evacuated in advance, but the Dragon-Tooth Soldier had still destroyed countless buildings along the outskirts.
There had also been a significant number of casualties, leaving the citizens deeply anxious despite the victory.
History had proven how effectively the creation of heroes could stabilize public sentiment during such troubled times.
They intended to hold a grand award ceremony and demonstrate that the metropolis remained strong.
“Would that not be a loss for you? You could still turn us into public heroes without giving away the grand prize.”
“Oh, you are remarkably perceptive.”
Mayor Koldo smiled.
“Who can say whether another war like this will occur? Now that one of the Black-Gold Dragon's Dragon-Tooth Soldiers has truly attacked us, no one can make promises about the future. Those who contributed the most during the war must therefore receive suitable Rewards. We need to make that fact widely known so that heroes like you will step forward the next time as well.”
As expected of a mayor who had once been a renowned alchemist.
His mind worked remarkably quickly.
“For now, I understand.”
Kranol nodded.
He had no reason to refuse a Reward freely offered to him.
Moreover, the grand prize had been his objective from the beginning.
‘The Philosopher's Stone, the miracle that can cure my Madness.’
He needed that prize to obtain it.
The award ceremony was held without excessive formality the following day.
The original protagonist was also present.
With a cigar clenched between his teeth, he glanced at the indifferent Kranol before approaching Mayor Koldo.
“It is a pleasure to see you, Mayor Koldo.”
“Hmm? Did you always smoke tobacco, Lord Bineureban?”
“Ha ha. War has a way of changing people.”
“What a frightening thing to say, coming from someone who returned from the dead on the battlefield.”
“Come now, I already explained that. I merely left a crude doll made in my image as a decoy.”
It appeared he had invented a suitable lie to explain what had happened.
Then the man said something Kranol had not expected.
“More importantly, there is something I wish to say. I intend to yield all of my Rewards to Kranol Wizar.”
“Why in the world would you do that? You also played a tremendous role, Lord Bineureban.”
“Well.”
The original protagonist smiled and looked toward Kranol.
His gaze resembled that of someone who had discovered an unpolished jewel.
“I simply find that fellow rather appealing.”
Kranol did not feel grateful in the slightest.
He understood better than anyone that such favor was a warning sign.
The man treated powerful people he liked exceptionally well.
After all, they were bodies he intended to steal someday.
‘He is behaving himself now because he lacks the Soul Resources needed for possession, but he will eventually come after my body.’
A chill ran down Kranol's spine.
‘……Of all people, I caught the attention of the most troublesome one.’
This was precisely why he had not wanted to meet the original protagonist.
In any case, a crowd had gathered in the central plaza.
Kranol stepped onto the platform and received a commemorative plaque.
Thanks to the original protagonist yielding his share, Kranol was also able to monopolize the grand prize.
“Have you heard? That handsome, exhausted-looking gentleman is the hero who saved Aletica!”
“I heard that an enormous dragon and a white-winged Guardian Angel fought alongside him!”
“No! I heard it was a little Demon that unleashed Black Lightning from its hands!”
Somehow, Kranol's deeds during the war had been greatly exaggerated.
It was common for tales of heroism to grow on chaotic battlefields and for unbelievable legends to spread.
If he remained here, he would likely be treated as a hero in extravagant luxury for several weeks.
However, Kranol left the metropolis without hesitation.
He had already obtained his objective and wanted to distance himself from the original protagonist as quickly as possible.
‘If the Black-Gold Dragon has awakened, there is no time to relax. I need to hurry.’
Kranol intended to use the Black-Gold Dragon to achieve his objective.
He had originally believed that he possessed considerably more time.
Now that it had awakened, however, he had no choice but to revise his original plan.
“Rrah!”
Just as they were leaving the metropolis of Aletica, Chubby discovered something and tapped his shoulder.
An elegant gift box lay in the middle of the road ahead.
At first, Kranol thought someone had forgotten it there, but a message had been written across its surface.
「Hoping that we will work together someday.
To the little one with black-and-white wings, from the adult who tried to tear off your earlobe.」
Plumpy snorted haughtily.
“Hmph! Look at this, Mister! That alchemist must feel sorry for me, so he left me a present!”
“…….”
Kranol was dumbfounded.
How had the man determined the route they would take?
The thought that the original protagonist had anticipated their movements and left the gift in advance sent a chill down his spine.
“He is such a strange person! Why would he pinch me and then give me a present? My ear aches just thinking about it!”
Despite pretending otherwise, Plumpy appeared secretly excited.
When she opened the box with her tiny hands, she found a wrapped bundle of sticks inside.
“Plumpy. What is that?”
“They are cigars! There is a description here too! It says they are the most exquisite snack in the world! They look delicious!”
“…….”
Kranol took the appropriate measures.
“Waaah! Mister stole the present someone gave me!”
“Rrah! Rooooar!”
The two little ones protested, but he paid them no attention.
After crushing the cigars beneath his foot, Kranol growled in a rare display of anger.
“Never touch anything like this, even after you grow up.”
Nothing had changed.
Kranol disliked the original protagonist as much as ever.
However, events in the world rarely unfolded as one desired.
The day would inevitably come when they met again.
Would Kranol be able to prevent the man from stealing his body when that happened?
‘I need to become stronger and protect myself. Strong enough that even the Infinite Possessor will not dare covet my body.’
Of course, such a resolution might have seemed pointless.
Even if Kranol struggled to become stronger, would that not merely make his body more valuable to steal?
However, Kranol knew how to protect himself from the original protagonist.
‘To accomplish that, I cannot be the only one who grows stronger.’
The two little ones also needed to become every bit as powerful as he was.
Powerful enough to deserve the name Calamity.
“Chubby. Listen carefully.”
“Rooooar?”
He had to find the miracle and cure his Madness.
However, countless unforeseen variables were now threatening his life.
There was only one choice that would grant him the greatest possible efficiency.
‘If he possesses Infinite Possession, then I only need to sweep him away with Calamities.’
He had gone through immense hardship to defeat the Black-Gold Dragon's Dragon-Tooth Soldier.
It was time to make use of the Reward he had fought so hard to obtain.
Kranol made a declaration to the confused Chubby.
“Starting today, we will attempt ‘Summon the Berserk Dragon.’”