Lord Of Doom!Reincarnated Into a Novel as the Strongest Side Character-Chapter 56: A trade

Gojin ventured deeper into the room while the pawn shop owner continued his search on the high shelf.

Gojin scanned the area, looking for any signs to confirm his suspicion. He approached a shelf that appeared to have been slightly displaced from its original position; drag marks were visible on the floor.

His gaze shifted from the ground, where the marks were evident, to the side of the shelf. There, he noticed a scratch along the edges, as if a person had struggled to avoid being pulled away. This was likely what had caused the shelf to shift slightly.

A grin spread across his face as he leaned closer to inspect the scratch.

Now, he quickly recognized it as a fingernail print. The edges were serrated and uneven, indicating a frantic attempt to grasp onto something. The width of the scratch was about half an inch, confirming it belonged to a slender finger. Gojin calculated that this was likely a female fingernail, as the average width of a woman’s nail is typically narrower than that of a man’s.

He muttered, barely above a whisper:

"So, some kind of trade must have taken place between this ball man and a demon. Intriguing. Judging by the lingering scent, it can’t have been long since the captured one was here. Well, I don’t care about their business; I just want to complete that 1,000-kill goal."

He sneered and did a makeshift cough as he left the shelf area, heading over to where Kenji and Sakura sat.

He whispered:

"Keep an eye on that shifty man. I have somewhere to be. Don’t make it too obvious that you’re watching, and don’t ask me why I’m telling you this or where I might be heading."

The two nodded with serious expressions, subtly turning to face the man while using the books to shield their faces, checking on him discreetly. They listened to Gojin without asking questions; they had already guessed what he was after, evident from his tone.

Gojin didn’t alert the man as he silently vanished from the shop, appearing outside. He turned to inspect his surroundings, searching for any clues about where the demon might have gone.

"It wouldn’t be traveling on foot, but it can’t teleport far. It’s most likely lurking nearby in the city, getting ready to move soon since the smell hasn’t been gone long—about two hours, I should be correct."

As explained, in this era, humans primarily formed contracts with demons who sought similar arrangements. These contracts often involved a significant exchange: humans would offer something precious—typically fellow humans, such as loved ones or family members—in return for what they desired.

Demons craved the emotional energy and souls of those offered, akin to a buyer paying less than the actual value for breakfast. In this dark transaction, the demons acted as the buyers, while the contracted humans were the foolish sellers, unaware of the true cost of their bargain.

However, the demons didn’t stop at just one sacrificial lamb; they often demanded more whenever they needed it. This created a cycle of dependency and desperation, where humans found themselves trapped in a never-ending quest to satisfy the insatiable hunger of their demonic counterparts, sacrificing more than they ever intended.

It was clear that the pawn shop owner was also a victim, likely having sought wealth—the very reason he was able to operate such a large pawn shop filled with hundreds of artifacts.

Gojin moved away from the surroundings into a more secluded area. He placed a hand on his head, deep in thought about how to locate the soul. Suddenly, he recalled his bell technique.

The bell technique was particularly useful in situations like this. Since he was familiar with the demon’s scent, he could track it effectively. By merging the scent with the technique, he would simply flick his wrist twice while capturing the essence of the scent or any other relevant items leading to it.

This would produce a bell sound that rang in his ears, audible only to him. A red rope would then appear- though can’t be seen by anyone else, guiding him toward his target. As he drew closer, the ringing of the bell would grow louder, indicating his approach.

Gojin flicked his hands three times, initiating the process. The red rope extended back to the pawn shop, then wound behind it, crossing over a stone fence. It continued onward, passing through various huts, homes, and mansions before finally stopping at an derelict property.

The site featured a broken double wooden door, firewood piled in front, and a half-collapsed fence that surrounded the area. It resembled a neglected barn, one used for storing stalks of crops.

Gojin smirked, stretching his left hand forward and blasting it away, sending debris flying and creating more ruins around him. He walked inside gracefully, whistling and rubbing his palms together.

Upon entering, he immediately sensed the demon’s scent intensifying, confirming its presence in the neglected barn. The structure was ancient, with weathered timber rafters. Dust danced around the atmosphere. Hay lay scattered across the floor, and remnants of old farming tools hung on the walls.

Suddenly, a woman sprinted out from a dark opening, tears streaming down her face. She collapsed to the ground upon seeing Gojin, who stood still like a statue. He bent down slightly to observe her, taking in her features with a silent, almost curious expression. In an instant, he appeared behind her, grasping the hakama she wore and lifting her effortlessly into the air with one hand, as if she were a mere briefcase.

Her eyes widened in shock and awe as she hovered, suspended by a single young man’s strength. Gojin remained calm, waiting for the demon to reveal itself, yawning and groaning slightly as the woman gasped, clearly older than him.

A few seconds later, the demon burst forth from the ground, its hand outstretched. Gojin grinned menacingly as it came into full view, radiating power similar to Makato’s. Surely, Makato’s aura and actual power was far stronger than this.

"Another doll to test myself on!" Gojin declared with excitement, tossing the woman into the air like a jump ball at the start of a basketball game. She floated suspended above, seemingly under his control - as if he were manipulating gravity to keep her in the air.

The demon landed on the ground, its expression was one of shock and disbelief. It looked down to find its leg missing, now held in Gojin’s hand, which he swung playfully as if preparing for a baseball game, embodying the role of the batter.

He’s stronger than Kurozai at this point. They may match in speed, but there’s a distinct difference. - the demon thought, unable to vocalize its thoughts, as all grade 2 radiant demons could only communicate through their minds..

"Now let’s take a swing!" Gojin exclaimed, his eyes burning with fierce excitement.

Gojin surged forward and slammed the demon’s own leg onto its chest, amplifying the force and sending the creature soaring into the sky. But the leg began to regenerate quickly. Gojin pursued it, driving the leg down onto the demon’s chest once more, sending it crashing back to the ground.

Fortunately, no one witnessed this battle except for the woman he had saved.

Before the demon could hit the ground, Gojin reached it first. He executed a spinning kick, his foot connecting with the demon’s head with a resounding crack. The impact sent the demon flying across the clearing, crashing into a nearby wall and leaving a massive crater, debris scattering everywhere and dust filling the air. freёwebnoѵel.com

Gojin followed up by smashing the leg again, then turned to unleash a flurry of punches and kicks. He relished this raw style of combat, preferring it over his techniques, which often made battles feel dull and ended too quickly.

He wanted to inflict unimaginable damage on his opponents, embodying the traits of the Seren clan—especially Yuki, though the rest hadn’t been confirmed to be a battle maniac.

It was well-known that anyone from the Seren clan had a penchant for chaos in battle.

He launched into a series of eight jabs followed by ten punches to the demon’s throat and forehead, then two quick strikes like snake bites to its chest and shoulder joint. The demon writhed in pain while Gojin maintained an excited grin.

"This is getting boring. Let’s pick up the pace. I’ll give you the chance to launch attacks, and for each one I dodge without using my... well, I can’t say that out loud. Anyway, for each one I dodge, you’ll get one damaging attack from me! Deal?"

Suddenly, an energy ball hurtled towards him from behind, which he effortlessly vanquished with a wave of his hand. Gojin turned, his gaze burning with intensity at the launcher.

No way!

The woman!? The supposed victim is...

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