Everything felt like a blur.
However, I could still recall everything.
The sequence of events that led to my final moments, and to the instant my head was severed from my body.
I could still recall everything.
In the end, I didn’t even care about what happened to me.
In the last moments, I understood something.
That...
I couldn’t have cared less about what had happened to me.
All I cared about was defeating the demon, even at the expense of my own life.
Everything felt meaningless to me in that moment.
That was all that I could think of.
And—
"..."
Opening my eyes, I stared at the figure seated on the single red sofa, calmly pouring himself a cup of tea before taking a quiet sip.
"You’re awake."
His warm voice reached my ears as I looked around.
It appeared to be a luxurious study room. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with all sorts of books. I sat on a similar red sofa, a small wooden table before me, as a warm light bathed the room from above.
Resting on the table was a small cup of tea, which I reached for, taking a sip myself.
A rich, aromatic scent filled my nostrils as I closed my eyes, quietly savoring the taste before me.
But eventually—
"You’re a lot more twisted than I anticipated."
A certain voice brought me back.
Opening my eyes, I looked back at him. Even now, his features were something my mind could not comprehend. Every time I tried to focus on them, they slipped away from my memory, vanishing the moment I grasped them.
"It has been quite a long time since a human has managed to defeat me."
So I wasn’t the first?
I took a sip of the tea, curious about who that human was.
"...But even back then, they were not as twisted as you. It’s the first time that I’ve ever felt the shivers coming from a human. The more I look at you, the more interested I become. But at the same time, I can also tell that you’re not quite human."
Hm?
My hand paused.
"But it doesn’t seem like you’re aware of what you truly are. Haha, that’s interesting. You don’t really belong to this world, do you?"
His warm laugh filled the room.
"Of course, I do wish to tell you, but that would ruin the fun, wouldn’t it?"
Right, of course.
"But it’s not like I can’t tell you."
I raised my head.
"Since you’ve managed to defeat me, you’ve earned the privilege of asking me one question. There isn’t much that I don’t know. If there is something you wish to understand, I will answer it for you. But choose carefully. As I said, you only have this privilege once."
This offer...
Honestly, it was quite a good one.
But strangely, I felt awfully calm when presented with such an offer. There were a lot of questions that I wanted to ask. Like, why was I sent to this world? What was the truth behind my transmigration? What was the truth behind the mist? What was the truth behind the system?
There were a lot of questions that I wanted to ask.
However—
"I’d like to hold onto the privilege for now."
"You’re a greedy one."
Reading my thoughts, Paimon’s lips twisted until the end.
"I can see exactly what you’re thinking."
I took a sip of the tea.
As I savored the taste, I mumbled, "Knowledge is one of the most powerful things any human or entity can possess. It would be a waste to use it right now. There might come a time when I’m stuck in a situation that I can’t escape. When the time comes, I’ll ask for your help."
In a way, I treated this as some sort of lifeline.
But above all—
"I also don’t dislike the idea of having a King who would heed my call when I need it."
"Right. Right."
Paimon laughed alongside me.
That was all he could do in this situation.
"Take this."
Suddenly, he tossed something toward me. I raised my hand and caught it, opening my palm to look at the object resting there. It was a silver ring, neatly carved, with a flat face at its center bearing a strange, intricate sigil.
One that felt familiar to one that I had seen in the past, but not exactly.
’I presume this is Paimon’s sigil.’
"With this, you should be able to enter Limbo whenever you wish. It takes quite a bit for the portal to open, so be aware of that."
Oh? This was pretty good.
"I’ll take it."
The moment I put the ring on, a cool sensation washed over my body. At the same time, I looked back at Paimon before slowly standing up. At the same time, my head drifted towards a certain door.
I could see it now.
The exit.
"Leaving already?"
"Yes."
I had stayed here for long enough.
"Hmm. That’s a pity. But as I’ve always said, I will never stop anyone from leaving this place. And now that you have the ring, you may come and visit whenever you wish."
I gave a faint nod and walked toward the door.
Just as my hand closed around the knob, Paimon’s voice reached me from behind.
"Since you’ve thoroughly entertained me, I’ll give you a little bonus. It’s just like you’ve read before. This is all one big game."
I stopped.
"A game that you’re very much already a part of."
Silence followed after those words.
When I turned around to look back, he was sitting in his seat, calmly staring at me while taking a sip of his tea. Judging from his smile, it was clear that this was the ’bonus’ that he was talking about.
I turned my attention away from him and reached for the knob, pulling the door open as I stepped outside.
Paimon’s voice drifted after me one last time.
"I wish you the best of luck, you who has conquered the first layer of hell."