< Demon Tribe (3) >
Tarak, located in the northern part of the Tulk Kingdom.
“Huh~ Haa— The air in this neighborhood is really amazing. No matter how much I smell it, I never get tired of it.”
An ordinary young man with black hair strolling down the street took a deep breath and smiled contentedly.
Ken Miyamoto, a demon disguised as a human.
He walked slowly, admiring the bustling city with a pleasant mood.
‘It was a good thing I came. I don’t want to go back already.’
The environment of the Demon World, filled with negative energy, must have been quite difficult for him, as he was both a human and an Earthling.
Of course, it could be said that this was actually a beneficial situation for the current body that had become a demon…
‘Still, I like this place better than your stuffy air.’
I thought I had become quite accustomed to the environment of the Demon World after living there for a long time, but when I actually came out like this, I felt like all the senses that had become dull were suddenly revived.
‘Has it already been over twenty years since I fell into the demon world?’
And that meant it had been almost thirty years since he had been sent to this shitty world.
Then suddenly.
Ken stopped walking and frowned.
My mind started to tingle at the sudden thought.
If he had returned properly, he would be living a comfortable life on Earth by now.
Because I had that level of ability.
But how did it end up like this…
“···Well, that’s okay. I also happened to find a guy with some useful abilities.”
But the thoughts that had been rising like wildfire died down in an instant as if they had never happened.
It was as if a bucket of water had been poured over the sparks just as they were about to burst into flames.
Ken, with a much more relaxed expression, recalled their meeting yesterday.
He was sent to this continent on a mission to investigate information, and he discovered something surprising.
In this Outerica, products from Earth that were thought to be unseen were being openly distributed.
Of course, it was still only traded among the upper class, but that in itself was a great deal.
‘Because there were more than one or two of them.’
It wasn’t just a matter of the few belongings of the Earthlings that were transferred.
Large-scale distribution directly carried out by large corporations.
Moreover, the items obtained in the process were not ordinary.
Click— tsk!
Ken, who had entered a deserted back alley, took a metal lighter out of his pocket, opened the cap, and lit it.
A small burning ember with a faint scent of oil.
It was one of the ‘Earth products’ distributed by an Awakened person named Hubert.
“···I never thought you could even bring something like this. Wow, you really have such amazing abilities.”
It was something that could be easily seen on Earth, but in this world, it was literally a new creature from another world.
But, it’s amazing that you can bring in such things indefinitely.
He licked his lips as he recalled the sight of him preparing a sumptuous feast of freshly prepared earthly foods right in front of him.
“···It’s a shame to just leave it alone.”
The fact that he had given away the information the other party wanted and then meekly withdrew the day before was not simply out of kindness.
At that time, I was just trying to reassure the other person because I wasn’t fully prepared yet.
‘I can’t think of that level of ability outside of a unique skill.’
A unique skill that he can no longer use after becoming a demon.
It wasn’t the kind of ability that could be taken away.
The best way would be to capture them and use them as slaves, but there was a risk that the opponent could use ‘return’ to escape to Earth.
But that doesn’t mean you can stay by their side and monitor them forever.
‘The best method in this case is mental manipulation.’
If you make them use their abilities to serve you thoroughly, so that they won’t even think about running away, then you don’t have to worry about anything else.
Of course, someday Hubert would become a settler and his useful abilities would disappear, but he had not even been in Outerica for ten years, so there was still plenty of time left.
‘The problem is that I’m not good at that…’
That’s why it took time.
But that problem was just about to be solved.
“You came.”
Ken’s voice spreads through the back alley.
“Tsk, do you really have to tell me to come and go like this when you’re so busy?”
As if answering those words, an old man’s voice flowed from inside the alley.
Then, an old gentleman appeared with the sound of footsteps.
He wore a pure white suit and carried a sleek wooden cane, and he flicked his white fedora with his white-gloved hand as he glanced at Ken.
“Nothing is free, even for you. You know the price, right?”
“Isn’t this already over? I’ll do as per the contract, so let’s go now.”
“Tsk tsk tsk.”
Ken wasn’t the only one sent from the Demon World to this land.
Among them was a demon who was skilled in the psychic realm, and he also had the means to request cooperation from his opponents.
‘Well, I guess I’ll have to help out with this as well. But that’s something I can handle.’
After thirty years of eating Earth’s food laden with MSG, he was left with a dizzying vision.
Of course, I had no intention of cooperating with Hubert and receiving supplies.
He is a demon of the Demon World’s Count level in name only.
Isn’t it impossible for someone like him to accept food from a mere human merchant who farts?
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‘And who knows when he’ll return to Earth.’
I don’t know for sure, but the amount of karma earned by growing a company like that must be enormous.
Considering that he has decent physical abilities and can use his unique skills without much delay, it seems that he has used a lot of points, but it would be better to assume that he has enough points to return to Earth at any time.
“Let me take the lead.”
“Okay then.”
The visit the day before had been conducted in a friendly atmosphere, so now was the right time for the other party to let their guard down.
After a short while had passed.
Two demons burst into Hubert’s office.
***
A peaceful meeting place where information was exchanged over a meal the day before.
“···What is this?”
A stiff, frozen voice flowed out from the space where piles of paperwork were scattered on the floor.
Hubert jumped up from his chair in his office and gritted his teeth as he glared at the intruders who had appeared before him once again.
“Well, it is as you see.”
Ken shrugged his shoulders and smiled brightly in response to the other person’s reaction.
It didn’t match his expression, and he exuded a murderous aura that he would cut off anyone’s head without hesitation the moment they tried to run away.
The raid was a momentary one.
He already had a history of hiding in the office without anyone knowing.
It was a bit more strict than yesterday, as if they had reorganized security after he left, but to him, this was just a game of chance.
“Wow, this kid…? This is really interesting.”
Behind him, an old gentleman in pure white stroked his beard while looking intently at the girl who had collapsed on the floor.
Diana, who worked as a secretary to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and performed minor tasks downstairs.
The reason she was here now was because of her keen sense of smell.
Unlike yesterday, when she was late in noticing the intruder’s visit, she was sensitive to the smell she remembered once, so she noticed something strange and rushed to warn Hubert, but they were both involved in the accident.
“Why? Is there something wrong with that kid?”
“···Ah, for a human, he is a child with outstanding qualities. If you take him as a disciple and teach him well, he will probably become a great force. Hehe.”
“Tsk, we’ll figure that out later. Let’s just finish this first.”
The old gentleman shrugged his shoulders and lied nonchalantly.
Even though we were on the same boat, I had no intention of sharing information about such a treasure.
‘Huh, I never thought I’d find a child holding a fragment of God in the place I reluctantly followed. Thanks to that idiot, I’ve unexpectedly struck it rich.’
Unlike Ken, who had only lived for a few decades and was a martial artist, he had been studying the mysteries for over a thousand years.
Although he is still only a self-made demon due to his lack of military power, it is inevitable that his vision will be different.
He calmed his excited heart with his experience and approached the owner of the office, who was unable to do anything, pretending to be calm.
‘Good, good. If I can use this to put that rascal in debt and get my hands on a piece of God…’
The corners of the old man’s mouth slightly rose at the dark desire boiling from deep within.
At the same time, my affection for the person named Sanghoeju suddenly grew.
Isn’t this all thanks to the author?
‘Well, I don’t intend to let that go. At least I won’t make it hurt.’
That was the most favor he could do.
The old gentleman standing in front of Hubert, who seemed to be frozen in confusion by the sudden situation, raised his fedora.
And then a purple light flashed in his eyes.
“Huh, what the heck···!”
“Hehehe, it’ll be over soon, so don’t resist. You’ll just end up having a hard time for no reason.”
Mental barriers, including the “Myeonggyeongjisu,” began to crumble without warning.
Hubert staggers and falls limply onto the office chair behind him.
The evil energy that had dug into my mind penetrated deep inside, crushing everything that stood in my way without hesitation.
‘That’s pretty good. With this level of mental strength, it seems better than that of a mediocre great wizard. If this person had devoted himself to training seriously, he might have reached transcendence someday.’
Although he doesn’t have any special powers, his mental strength is at an extreme level.
If the sorcerer had not been himself, most of them would have failed to break through the solid wall and would have been hit by the backlash, taking a mental hit.
It was truly an extraordinary mental strength that made it possible to organize such a grand event not just a coincidence.
‘Pfft— what a shame. If it weren’t for this Frances, if there was only time, a person who would have definitely become a hero would have fallen like this. It’s a tragedy, it’s a tragedy.’
But contrary to such thoughts, there was a subtle smile on his face as if he was enjoying the current situation.
Although he was acting all proud, he was also a devil who enjoyed the destruction of others.
‘Okay, then let’s start working slowly···.’
But that laughter didn’t last long.
An inner world reached by relentlessly crushing resistance.
There unfolded a magnificent sight he had never seen in his entire life.
“···What is that···?”
acropolis.
No, is it just a wall?
I couldn’t understand it even after seeing it.
The long wall stretched from side to side, its end was invisible, and it rose high enough to reach the sky.
As if it were a boundary dividing dimensions.
‘How can something like that exist?’
Frances realized it the moment she looked straight at that wall.
It’s not just about the size.
Even if you hit it for a hundred days, your body will be destroyed before you can even get a small scratch.
A truly impregnable wall with no gaps for water to leak through.
Even though this place was a spiritual world without substance, it was something that far surpassed the limits of what he could imagine.
This couldn’t possibly be the inner world of a single merchant…
‘···Step back.’
Although she didn’t fully grasp the situation, Frances didn’t hesitate any longer and moved quickly, following her intuition.
A sharp sense of crisis, something was wrong, rang through my mind like never before.
but.
“Haha, are you going already?”
He was already too deep in to back out quickly.
‘Something’ blocks his path before he can even get out.
The moment he faced it head on, Frances’ soul was shaken violently.
‘Huh! What the…!’
This is a world where superiority is determined solely by mental strength, and where everyone’s minds are at their most vulnerable.
As he faced a pair of ruby-shining red eyes, the very fabric of his being that made up the demon Frances began to twist and reassemble itself.
‘Ah, no…!’
He tried his best to resist, but in this space where even time lost its meaning, his struggles were in vain and only scattered.
A fleeting moment of time passed like that, like an eon.
“We’ve come all the way here, so why don’t we talk for a bit?”
To the sweet voice of the being blocking my way.
“···gladly”
The old gentleman, who had been blankly staring, answered in an excited tone, as if he was overcome with emotion.
“I will follow your orders···.”
As if possessed by something.
***
“···Frances?”
The corners of Ken’s eyes twitched.
And then he carefully called his colleague next to him.
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem? How’s the work going?”
It was a question mixed with irritation rather than worry, but Frances, who was shaking slightly, showed no particular reaction even while being urged.
No, something has changed.
Sway— Sway—
Now, a pure white old gentleman is staggering in place as if he has been drunk.
The wooden cane he was holding in his hand was already rolling on the floor, and the fedora on his weakly shaking head hung precariously as if it might fall off.
“···shit.”
By then, Ken had no choice but to accept that something was wrong.
Mental abilities are powerful techniques with huge penalties.
I couldn’t believe it, but it seemed like the old man had failed in his mind control.
Against a mere merchant with no special powers.
‘I guess I’ll have to kill him.’
Ken’s gaze turned to Hubert, who still had his head bowed.
It’s a shame, but there’s nothing we can do about it.
Since the mental manipulation had failed, it was impossible to leave such an uncertain risk factor alone.
He was hesitating with such regret, but just before he finally took action.
Frances’ body, which had been staggering, suddenly stopped.
An old gentleman frozen in place as if he had pressed the stop button.
“Phew—I’m sorry for that.”
And the next moment, he sighed deeply and straightened his posture, moving smoothly as if melting ice.
He picked up the cane that had fallen on the floor, straightened his crooked top hat, and tidied up his disheveled suit.
“···Frances? Are you really okay?”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’m better than ever now.”
“Mind manipulation? Did you finish it properly?”
“Hehehe, it’s me, Frances. No problem.”
Ken stared blankly at the old gentleman who answered leisurely as usual.
Certainly, there was nothing particularly unusual about him.
It was as if the constant writhing was an illusion.
“But what happened? Why did that happen just now?”
That’s why I couldn’t help but ask.
What went wrong during the mental manipulation process?
Why on earth would a demon wielding such dangerous power react in such a way?
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
That’s why.
Ken couldn’t help but frown when he heard the answer.
“I just came to see my master for a moment.”
“···what?”
“Ah—are you jealous? Hehehe, don’t worry. He is the master of us all, and you too will soon be able to see his face.”
An extremely absurd question and answer.
Ken, who felt something cold at that sudden nonsense, looked at Frances closely again.
A white fedora, a white suit, white gloves, white shoes, and a polished wooden cane.
As usual, he looked like a neat old gentleman.
One of them was different from before.
The heterogeneous elements clearly pierced his eyes.
‘The expression···.’
It wasn’t the usual expression that seemed to hide something hidden.
Gently curved eyes and slightly upturned corners of the lips.
His face, as if he had met an idol, was overflowing with uncontrollable joy and delight.
“···f*ck.”
A swear word came out of Ken’s mouth.
No matter how I looked at it, it wasn’t normal.
Even if I turn around, I turn around firmly.
And the cause must be Hubert, the boss he had been trying to mentally manipulate until just before.
‘If we take care of that bastard now!’
He turned his head again towards the office chair.
“under?”
In that fleeting moment, I let out a sigh of relief at the world that had suddenly changed.
A space that was the company’s office until just a moment ago.
The place had somehow changed into a familiar landscape.
A sky tinged with purple, a land dyed black, a vast wilderness without a single tree, and a dry wind brushing past my skin.
And the negative energy that fills the atmosphere.
“···devildom?”
The sight was reminiscent of the most desolate abandoned land in the Demon World.
and-.
“How is it? My “World of the Heavenly King”.”
The being that suddenly appeared in the middle of it all, with a captivating voice that shook the soul.
It fit in strangely with the world.
“Welcome to my world.”
It’s obvious that they shouldn’t match.
With that peerless woman who is infinitely beautiful and infinitely noble, and to whom I would like to offer my heart right now.
“Okay, then now···”
Like a flower blooming in the middle of the desert.
Lonely and alone—the king of the world smiled.
“Kneel when I speak nicely to you. If you don’t want to lose.”
With slightly rough language that doesn’t match her beautiful voice.
