Anything to Survive in Hell: From Weakling to Tyrant-Chapter 23 Ether Extraction Method

Karla’s secret dark magic. It was a spell called "Ether Extraction Method."

Karla had explained that all monsters in the mortal realm were degraded descendants of the ancient beasts from Hell. Therefore, a trace amount of ether existed within their bodies.

From now on, I would try to extract that ether from this fresh kobold corpse. When else would I test it if not now? This technique wasn’t even in the basic dark magic tome I possessed. I had to use it before I forgot the details.

"Kereuk?"

Bimzi, whose mouth was stained bright red with blood, tilted his head and looked at me.

"Why? Curious?"

"Kereuk."

"Then watch... mumble, mumble."

I immediately felt the ether in my heart while chanting the spell. Because I had just healed Bimzi, about half of my ether remained. I would operate it with the utmost precision.

I concentrated it on my right hand.

Then—

"Ohhh...!"

A violet magic circle appeared on the back of my hand! This could be called a success! When I first created this... Right. Karla had drawn this on the back of my hand with her finger.

"Karla, are you watching?!"

Good! As I gazed at the risen magic circle, the spell formula rapidly unfolded in my mind. Reading it with the utmost precision, I instructed Bimzi.

"Bimzi. Hurry. Lay that kobold down properly in front of me."

"Kerereung."

Bimzi immediately dragged the kobold corpse and laid it down in a proper position in front of me. At that instant, as I placed my hand on the kobold’s chest—

My vision was dyed violet. Was light spewing out? No. This was flowing from my own eyes right now. Eye light was emanating.

"Enter!"

In that state, imagining I was grabbing the kobold’s heart, I pushed my hand in. —Ssu-uk! As if putting my hand into mud, my grip passed through the kobold’s chest!

"Kereuk...!"

At that astonishing sight, Bimzi trembled, his body cowering as he looked at me. There was nothing to worry about. Because I had succeeded.

"Yaaah!"

The moment I immediately released my ether—

The kobold’s corpse turned into a black, viscous fluid and began to melt away instantly.

"Perfect!"

The liquid, like sticky petroleum, melted instantly and seeped into the ground. With that, the kobold’s corpse completely disappeared, leaving only a black trace on the grass.

And what remained in my hand was—

"Ether stone."

A small, black, hard crystal the size of a severed pinky fingernail. It looked like a fragment of obsidian, but its texture was closer to plastic.

"This is an ether stone!"

Inside this was the same ether that flowed through my body. When I tried to feel it... Of course, I couldn’t feel it!

Because this was extracted from a kobold. Monsters did have ether, but it was truly a minuscule amount. Naturally, a fucking weak kobold like this would have even less.

In other words, it was dregs.

But even that, a significant portion was lost during the ether extraction process.

"Still, it’s better than nothing."

If I collected and collected even these tiny ether stone fragments, good fortune would come. Karla had said that continuous consumption would increase my ether capacity.

"Thank you for the secret technique."

"Kereuk?"

"Bimzi. Among my benefactors, there’s a kid named Karla. When I achieve great success and return to Hell, I’ll introduce you."

"Kereuk? Kerereung kereuk!"

He looked happy.

Of course, even if I returned to Hell, Bimzi would be with me. He was my soul partner. I would never abandon him. At this point, Bimzi felt almost like my younger sibling imp.

"Hell is fucking great, I tell you. We’ll live there together later."

"Kerereuk."

Actually, even if I returned, I didn’t know how that crazy Overload would use me, but I thought if I pleaded my case, she might consider my circumstances a bit.

"Then let’s go back, Bimzi. You carry the kobold corpse you were eating."

"Kereuk!"

And so, I returned to my dungeon with Bimzi.

After returning, I was truly exhausted, so I just ate the leftover lizard meat and collected some fruits, then went into the dungeon with Bimzi, meditated for a bit, and then lay down and slept.

While doing so, I conducted one experiment.

It was to bring the kobold corpse inside the dungeon. Sleeping with a dead corpse in a cramped space was a bit unpleasant, but it was an essential experiment, so I proceeded.

And when I woke up—

"As expected."

"Kereuk."

No insects were attracted to the kobold corpse at all. It had been the same yesterday. Normally, flies would quickly come and lay eggs when a corpse appeared. It wasn’t that there were no such small insects in this remote area.

But now, no insects were attracted at all.

"Is it because I’m truly a demonkind? Is an evil energy flowing from me? Are insects fleeing too?"

"Kereuk?"

"What do you think when you see me?"

"Kereuk-kereuk!"

He was jumping up and down happily.

"Right. What can you even say?"

If this were Earth, we definitely would have gone to ride a disco trampoline together. I briefly imagined playing on rides at an amusement park with Bimzi. Wearing funny hats. Eating cotton candy. It would be fucking blissful.

"Then let’s eat this and start today’s work."

Although a day had passed, perhaps because the night was chilly, it hadn’t spoiled. Well, no insects were attracted either.

I appropriately cut off some flesh and made skewers. While I was making skewers, Bimzi gathered kindling.

I once again exhaled demonkind breath to light a fire and grilled the meat. The smell of it cooking was quite good.

"I’ll eat two, and you eat one."

"Kereuk-kereuk."

But it was so fucking tough that the taste was a bit off. Still, hunger was the best sauce, so it went down well.

"It’s a shame about this leather, though."

Having caught a monster with such fur, I only felt regret. Could I not make use of their leather?

"Tanning."

I needed to tan it.

As far as I knew, you washed the leather well, then removed all the flesh and fat attached to it, then dried and baked it. But I didn’t know the exact process.

Anyway, if I could just do that, I’d worry less about clothes. I could even put underwear on Bimzi, who was naked right now.

"Are you done eating?"

"Kereuk."

"Then let’s grind stones."

I needed to make spears.

"Done! I’ve made one!"

After grinding and grinding the stone fragment I’d been working on since yesterday, I finally completed a stone spearhead!

"Kya! I really made this fucking well! I had blacksmithing aptitude after all!"

"Kereuk-kereuk!"

"Applaud! Applaud!"

Bimzi clapped excitedly, overjoyed!

"Is clapping enough?! Jump too! Jump!"

"Kerereung!"

His jumping up and down was utterly adorable. If I taught him a little, wouldn’t he be able to dance or perform acrobatics? I really hoped so.

"Then, Bimzi. Go get the string I made."

"Kereuk."

Bimzi immediately brought the string he had made. A bundle of strings created by tearing tough plant stems. The durability wasn’t great, but these tools were consumables anyway. I could just make and use them whenever needed.

"Combination start!"

I slightly split the end of a straight, sturdy branch with an axe, then skillfully inserted the spearhead I had made into it. Then, by tightly wrapping and binding it with string... Complete!

"It’s a wooden spear!"

"Kereuk!"

I completed a spear!

"In terms of grade, it would be about common."

Truly the most basic of basics. A junk item among junk items. It was such a flimsy item, but making it myself had been truly hard labor.

I immediately gripped the spear.

"Oh, ohhh...! It’s good! This is good! It looks fucking great!"

"Kerereung...!"

It was a pretty decent spear! The grip felt good too! Of course, it would shatter after a few thrusts, but it was a wooden spear meant for that anyway!

"With just this, I can hunt and battle a little more stably!"

"Kereuk!"

"Then let’s make a fucking lot more of these!"

"Kereuk...?"

"What? You bastard. Do you think one will be enough? We need to make a fucking lot and stack them up."

"..."

Bimzi looked downcast. It seemed grinding stones was fucking boring. Honestly, I felt the same.

"Well... Since we made one today, making another right away might be a bit over the top. Then let’s do something else today."

"Kereuk?"

"Bimzi, grab this."

"Kereuk-kereuk."

Bimzi immediately picked up the wooden spear. Since he only came up to my waist, the spear was a bit big for him. And I also picked up a long branch.

And I took a stance.

The stance of a spearman.

"Bimzi, imitate my stance."

"Kereuk?"

Bimzi, with a question mark practically floating above his head, awkwardly imitated my stance.

"Good."

From now on, using this spear, I would train Bimzi. I had clearly understood it while fighting the kobold. Bimzi was a wild child. A wild child who rushed out and fought recklessly using his claws and teeth.

When fighting opponents of similar weight class, that was very effective. Because Bimzi was active, his movements were fierce.

However... If it was an opponent slightly larger than Bimzi, if he rushed in, it was over. I had grabbed the kobold’s arm and swung it like a flail, slamming it into the floor.

Bimzi could end up like that too.

So I needed to make him use a weapon like this spear, which utilized reach. Even though he was a goblin, if I trained him, he would be able to use it somehow. After all, a spear was a weapon that even beginners could easily use.

"Recruit! Why are you spacing out?!"

"Ke, kereuk?!"

"Pay close attention! Begin!"

"Kereuk!"

Bimzi, answering urgently, gripped the spear shaft with tense hands.

"Then from now on! You will follow my movements exactly! Begin!"

"Kereuk!"

"Hyaaaah!"

As I immediately took a step and thrust the stick!

Bimzi, seeing my movement, awkwardly took a step and thrust his stone spear!

"Kerereung!"

As expected, an awkward battle cry.

"Recruit! What kind of movement is that?! Again!"

"Kereuk!"

And so, I conducted spear arts training with Bimzi.

Look. If Bimzi mastered spear arts well, when he got more goblin subordinates later, I could make him an instructor. Creating a goblin army like that was... my goal.

"Recruit, Bimzi! Well done! Very well done!"

"Kerereuk!"

When he did well, I stroked his head and praised him. Bimzi always loved that.