< Demon World (3) >
The Demon World, a land of constant struggle and war.
But apart from its notoriety, the Demon World was also one of the worlds where intelligent beings formed a civilization and lived.
Even though the war had lasted for hundreds of years, not all areas could be battlefields all year round, and most regions still maintained their own systems and rules of society.
“What, Emma? I’ll kill you!”
“Okay, let’s give it a try! This time I’ll finish you off!”
“Oh! Are you fighting? Hey, it’s over here!”
“Kelok! Show me an example! Show me the pride of the Marang tribe!”
Although that society may seem very distorted from the perspective of other intellectuals, it is also a part of their culture.
In fact, it was not surprising that the demons, the inhabitants of the Demon World, which was full of negative energy, tended to be violent.
“Isn’t it nice to see all this energy? It’s all because the Dark Nest is gaining momentum and the long-running war is about to end. Oh! Of course, it’s also thanks to the Coatl family that has taken over a part of it.”
The Doberman-headed demon who had been guiding Hela inside looked at the commotion on the other side of the road and said a word.
It seemed like a ceremonial remark made in response to an everyday scene, and that was all the reaction.
‘···Can we just pass that off as being energetic?’
A large crowd of people surrounded them, and two demons began fighting in the center.
Neither of them seemed to be of a high level, but the ferocity of the fight was absolutely undeniable.
“Get behind!”
“Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”
“What are you doing, Kellok! Bite me to death!”
Both sides did their best to destroy the other’s body.
The sight of blood and flesh flying as they exchange attacks as if they were truly going to kill each other, and the crowd cheering at the sight.
‘Is it because regenerative powers are a common ability among demons? They fight so fiercely.’
Is this what they call a cultural difference?
It was a sight that made one keenly realize that this was indeed the infamous Demon World, with such a fight taking place openly in the middle of the street.
Even if they only have magical power, they can survive without eating, so aren’t they literally biological weapons born to fight?
“We have arrived. Please come here.”
For a moment, I was moving around, admiring the reality of the demon world that I had only heard about.
Hela, who had been moving under the guidance, soon arrived at a large mansion in the center of the castle.
As if it was true that he had told them in advance, someone was already waiting for them in front of the main gate of the mansion.
“Keuheung—! Come in. I am Dalun, the lord of this land.”
The person who is said to be the highest ranking person in this castle is the lord himself.
It was such an extreme treatment that I was embarrassed.
‘You’re bowing down like this when I tell you to go to Coatl…. I guess you could say that we’re in a completely subordinate relationship?’
Hela quickly assessed the situation, hiding her expression with a haughty attitude.
It seems that these people also quickly joined the ‘Dark Nest’, which the Coatl family belonged to, immediately after the balance of the battlefield was broken.
While following the lord who came out to greet us in person, we walked inside the mansion.
The boar-headed demon Dalun sniffed roughly for a moment, then frowned slightly and lowered his voice.
“Keu-keung! By the way, I didn’t know that you would suddenly come to Coatl without any notice… and you’re a complete stranger. Did the district manager who came before get busy? I see that you came instead.”
As expected of a lord, it was impressive how he was polite while not being overly cowardly.
Unlike his subordinates who were just busy being swept up in the situation, he immediately noticed the suspicious parts and secretly tried to find out.
‘That’s quite a lot. Well, that Dalun guy is also a noble-level demon.’
I hurriedly prepared and went out to greet him because a member of the next hegemonic power suddenly visited, but what I actually encountered was a completely new person, so that was a natural reaction.
Even though he was a Baron, the lowest rank among the titles, the fact that he had reached such a position in this Demon World where ability was everything was tantamount to proving his own qualifications.
‘Well, it’s all the same to me.’
In any case, in this situation, there was one most efficient and certain way to respond.
“Hehe, are you asking me why I came now?”
“Huh? No, that···.”
Press down with force.
Because this was the Demon World, a land of struggle where violence and oppression ran rampant.
A subtle sense of intimidation slowly leaked out from Hela’s body.
“······!”
Before Seongju Dalun could even open his mouth, a remnant of a powerful force instantly took over all four sides of him and thrust its fangs into him.
The magical power that even a mere baron-level demon could not dare to approach shamelessly suppressed all suspicion and distrust.
Gulp—
The lord swallowed hard.
My whole body became stiff and my face gradually began to turn pale.
Although it was covered in boar hair, it was not noticeable from the outside.
“Oh, right. If you just stay quiet, you’ll start to feel a little jealous, right? If you just follow the words of a woman who seems like she could easily get away with it if she wanted to, you’ll end up like this.”
“Ah, no… What. That’s not it….”
Sophistry that twists the topic and blatant displays of power.
And the scowling face as if in disgust, the tightly folded arms, and the hair flowing down along the head that was slightly tilted to the side.
He was truly the epitome of a great boss.
“Then what? Does that mean I came to a place I shouldn’t have? Huh? That’s what it means, right?”
“···No. I’m sorry. That was a slip of the tongue.”
In the end, Dalun had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.
If you think about it, I didn’t do anything wrong, but I couldn’t help it.
In this demon world, expressing one’s opinion while powerless was a serious crime that could result in death.
‘At least a count, maybe more. Where on earth did this monster come from… Is he really a member of the Coatl? Unless the battlefield was overflowing with leeway and the core forces were withdrawn…’
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All sorts of thoughts swirled through his head.
From how to calm the wrath of the unidentified strongman right next to you to concerns about the worst-case scenario that could happen if you do as she says.
‘The worst would be if this woman were from another faction. The outcome was already decided long ago. If she were to force herself to side with another faction now, she would be retaliated against by Dark Nest.’
In that case, there would be no future for oneself; it would only be a matter of whether one would die now or later.
A desperate situation where you can’t do anything.
‘Let’s pretend to cooperate for now. Then, if we secretly contact Dark Nest and explain the situation, we might be able to gain some merit…’
Dalun racked his brain trying to find a way out.
Contrary to his appearance that he would blindly pursue power, he was the type of demon who preferred schemes.
A crisis is an opportunity, if we use it well—.
“Foot.”
But at that time.
A soft laugh came from beside me.
There was no need to even mention who the epicenter was.
“Why are you so stiff? I’m joking, I’m joking.”
“Ah, ahahaha… I see. This really surprised me.”
“Haha, was it fun?”
This is a really unfunny joke.
But honestly, I didn’t have the guts to tell you.
There was no way that warning was a joke in the first place.
“···This is the reception room of our castle. Let’s go inside and talk about the details···.”
“Well, this is good enough. It’s quiet and there’s no need to be disturbed. Great.”
“yes?”
As he was trying to control his expression, another incomprehensible word came out.
No, that wasn’t all.
Saaaa—
“what···!”
The atmosphere of the area has changed.
He quickly turned his head to look at the suspicious guest next to him, and his body suddenly stopped.
But that was never his will.
‘Huh, my eyes…?’
Before I knew it, the other person’s eyes had changed.
From ordinary eyes that were simply beautiful to reverse eyes with ruby-like pupils shining in the center of black eyeballs.
And he couldn’t take his eyes off that pair of eyes, as if he was captivated by them.
“Okay, eat comfortably. It’s no use resisting anyway, so let’s just go comfortably. We still have a long way to go.”
Now that I looked, I could see that the shape of the opponent’s horns had changed, but I didn’t have time to examine it in more detail.
His mind had long since been sucked into those red eyes, as if he had fallen into a swamp from which he could not escape.
“Yes, yes. Good, Dalun. First, could you call the leaders of this castle one by one? I’m not used to working on everything at once.”
“···Yes. As the master commands.”
When Dalun, who was possessed by the “Eye of Domination,” answered politely, Hela smiled happily and patted his sturdy shoulder.
I never thought I would have the opportunity to meet the master of a castle so easily.
Since it still took considerable time and constraints to collect even one high-ranking demon, the fact that an environment was created where one could work without external interference was something to be happy about.
‘Then it doesn’t matter if you can’t come with your subordinates. We can just supply what we need here.’
Locally sourced, direct from the producer.
This is the Demon World, the home of the demon race.
It was a world overflowing with talented people who could become the Demon King’s retinue.
‘As the demon race grows stronger in the Demon Realm, their resistance will also increase, but that doesn’t matter to me either. The more I use it, the more my proficiency will increase.’
Also, the “Eye of Domination” used on them was not simply a matter of forcibly manipulating their minds.
It is part of the Demon King’s authority and power to command his forces.
That is, this series of subordinate acts were all part of a ritual performed according to proper procedure.
‘First, let’s check the exact location of this place… Next, I’ll have to contact the other guys. I gave them each instructions, but I’m not sure if they’re doing as they’re told. They have a lot of work to do.’
If there is a problem in the Demon World, it is most likely deeply connected to the current center of chaos, the ‘Dark Nest’.
Tracking their movements will be a shortcut to getting to the root of it.
“Your Majesty? Why am I suddenly···”
“Come here first. As you know, I am an important guest, so please be careful of your conduct.”
At that moment, the voices of Dalun and Doberman were heard from outside the living room.
It seems that he was also in a leadership position, such as being in charge of security.
Hela smiled brightly as she watched those entering through the slowly opening door.
At the same time, a pair of ruby-like eyes burned red.
‘The more work there is to do, the more essential the presence of power becomes.’
That was a fact already learned through numerous experiences.
There was a limit to struggling alone in this unfamiliar foreign land.
‘First, let’s completely devour this castle.’
And then—.
A new Demon King faction that no one expected.
In a corner of the Demon World, it began to take root quietly and rapidly.
***
The rear area of the Demon Realm occupied by Dark Nest.
“What’s wrong, Ken? Why are you back already?”
“Huh? Oh. Is that Lucy Coatl?”
“‘Ahhh’ is bullshit. Why don’t you explain it properly? Why are you back so early? Do you know how much it costs to cross the dimensional barrier of the demon world once? You completed your mission properly, right?”
Ken Miyamoto frowned at the loud, clear voice of a woman.
Even though she’s the person in charge of this area, she starts nagging me as soon as we meet.
Anyway, she’s a woman I just can’t seem to get attached to.
‘Tsk, if only I resembled Hela’s toenails, there would be a line of suitors.’
But that’s impossible.
Who would dare to associate such a perfect idol with the advent of a goddess?
Although there was no deity in Outerica that could be called a goddess, Ken was certain that his new master was the most worthy of being called one.
“Are you listening to me? I sent you away because you wanted to go so badly, but if you come back with no results, the higher-ups won’t stay still either···.”
“Don’t worry. We’ve had some success.”
“···Huh? Really?”
Ken glanced at Lucy Coatl, who had her eyes wide open, and took an object out of his bosom.
A pitch-black, jewel-like polyhedral object with jagged, star-like pyramids.
“This is the essence of a Marquis-level demon who died during the invasion of the 14th Demon King.”
“···Oh, really?!”
The mission of those dispatched to the continent, including Ken, was simple.
Anything is fine, so I’ll retrieve as many items from the Demon World that have spread across the land as possible.
Of course, anything would be fine, but there were bound to be expectations based on that level.
“Huh, I never thought this would happen, but there’s still something like this left on the continent? How on earth did you do it? Did you raid some dragon’s lair?”
“Whew! Well, it wasn’t easy.”
“Hmm, is it a trade secret? I guess it’s good. With this level of performance, it’s definitely worth bragging about.”
The minimum requirement to challenge the Demon King was to be a Duke.
Currently, there are only four of them in the Demon Realm, and they are the leaders of each faction and, at the same time, the actual rulers who rule over the divided territory.
If they are of the marquis level, they are the level just below the monarchs and can be said to be the strongest force in any battlefield.
‘Even if it is the essence of a demon that died in the last continental invasion.’
The karma involved there would also not be easy to estimate.
Ken could be sure.
If no one has recovered the remains of the 14th Demon King or the essence of the Succubus Queen, a duke-level demon, then no one will have returned from this mission with more than I have.
‘···Yes, I must live up to the expectations that have been placed on me for this.’
Ken’s eyes lit up as he watched Lucy examining the essence with an expression of admiration.
In fact, I would like to immediately leave this place and go find the owner, but I have to hold back for now in order to carry out the instructions he gave me.
Didn’t you personally give me this precious item for that?
“Lucy Coatl, is this enough of my accomplishments?”
“Hmm, yes. I have to admit it. At this rate, I can go back and forth across the continent ten more times without anyone saying anything.”
“Then why aren’t you guiding me quickly?”
“Huh? What did you say?”
Ken raised his head and spoke confidently, putting the demon essence back into his arms.
“I must see Duke Marryong. I will personally present this magic stone to him.”
The fire of fanaticism burned in his eyes.
Lucy tilted her head, wondering if his loyalty was really that great, but soon she could only nod in agreement.
Given that level of achievement, his demands were also quite reasonable.
‘Everything is for the sake of Hela.’
Of course, if I had known for sure where his faith was headed, I would never have accepted it so easily.
‘Even if this one body is burned.’
A determined fanatic delves into the heart of the heresy.
