Overgeared

abandoned by Baal.” 

Wasn’t this enough? Agnus read the meaning of Betty’s words and fell silent. 

“I will find you later.” 

Betty made a promise about the next time before moving forward. There wasn’t much point to getting rid of Chepardea’s eggs, so she just passed by them and headed into the depths of the canyon. It was the direction where the memphis were. 

‘As expected, my judgment is right.’ 

The most effective way to weaken Baal’s power was to kill the memphis. The memphis was a very powerful and demanding demonic creature with the fraudulent movement skill of Fluidization, the ability to steal the target’s stats, and the ability to release a barrier of electricity. The memphis were monsters who lost their sense of reason after being abused by Baal. They were much more aggressive and able to withstand pain compared to Noe. Their damage to their side would increase if Baal released them in all directions. 

“……”

Betty took the lead and Agnus walked behind her. Agnus thought that Betty’s steps seemed heavy. Younglings who had suffered from the moment they were born—it must be painful to know she would have to hurt the memphis. 

“My steps aren’t heavy.” 

“……?” 

“You are projecting your heart into my steps,” Betty spoke while looking at Agnus’ face that was reflected in the obsidian. 

“Stop talking nonsense.” Agnus was inwardly startled before turning his head away. He was unable to meet Betty’s gaze through the obsidian and avoided it. 

Then silence came again.
They walked along the obsidian rock wall for some time before arriving at a large dungeon. The structure was like a labyrinth.
There were heavily intricate, intertwined paths that caused disorientation.
There seemed to be some magical power. 

Agnus was confused even though it was a place he had followed Baal to a few years ago. There was a foggy sensation in his mind. Agnus hesitated a few times, but Betty just moved forward. “It isn’t that you don’t know the way.
Your heart is hesitating.” 

She was still talking nonsense… 

It happened as Agnus was ignoring her— 

“Nyaaaaong!” 

The sharp cry of a cat quickly approached. Was it a memphis that escaped? 

Agnus had a shaky expression on his face as he made a shield out of bone. He couldn’t quite understand himself why he made a shield instead of a sword. 

The memphis came all the way to in front of his nose before stopping. It was because his head was caught in Betty’s small hands, which was an amazing sight given that the memphis was in the Fluidization state. 

‘Did she attach magic to her body?’ 

Agnus admired it slightly before tilting his head. The memphis’ fur was fluffy. There wasn’t even a small scar on his pretty, round face. Every single memphis abused by Baal looked horrible, while this one was completely fine. It was obvious. The memphis currently captured by Betty was Noe, not the memphis captured by Baal. 

“Don’t harm my people, nyang!” 

The memphis’ hometown was hell. It was only in hell that they exerted full power and their authority to be free of any restraints was strengthened. This meant they could act independently and away from their masters. 

Noe, who met a good master and acted without much restrictions, gained even greater freedom in hell. It was when he arrived in hell and was affected by the teleportation. He overheard the sad cries of his kin and flew all the way here. Grid naturally allowed it. 

“G-Go back, nyang! You can’t go any further, nyang!” 

Noe was terribly frightened of Betty, who had decorated her room with an anatomical specimen of a memphis. Even so, he somehow squeezed out the courage. He trembled while showing signs of transforming into an adult. It was the willingness to fight.
Betty stroked his round forehead. “Don’t worry.
I’m here to help.” 

“……!” 

Noe and Agnus flinched. 

They thought that Betty was naturally going to hurt the memphis. In fact, there was no answer other than this. The memphis who had been trapped here for a long time had long lost their minds. It was not beneficial to release them. It was more likely that this would grab them in the ankle later. 

Betty explained to the two of them who were puzzled, “I can save them thanks to the sacrifice of another child.”

The child naturally meant the memphis in Betty’s laboratory. The memphis became a specimen of dissection. Through that child, Betty gained a lot of knowledge and information. She figured out how to calm the frenzy of the memphis trapped in the cages and restore their sense of reason. 

“Huu, nyang…” 

Noe was moved to the point of tears. He wasn’t aware of it, but he had grown tremendously. 

A demonic creature who rebelled against instinct and overcame fear—in the future, he would be able to endure it a bit better even if he met a dragon. Just then, Betty reached a certain location.
She chanted a spell and the door to the stone chamber opened.

The huge communal landscape…
it didn't enter their eyes properly. It was too dark. A stench filled the dark space without a single point of light. They wondered if it would be like this if meat was rotting, but the sight they saw when they gradually adapted to the darkness told them the truth. 

The flesh of the memphis who were trapped in iron bars were rotting in many places. They could see one who was dried up like a mummy and the two eyeballs that were plucked out were rotting. There were some who were literally hanging from the iron cage they were in because their mouth and limbs were tied. 

A youngling without a few limbs was a normal thing. Younglings with arms and legs of other creatures connected to their ears or necks couldn’t even rest properly because these limbs wriggled against their will. 

“……”

“It will be okay,” Betty whispered to Noe, who had forgotten what to say and was trembling in the air.