A gloomy hue settled over my eyes. Beneath an eerie green sky stretched a dead city the likes of which I had never seen. The unnervingly tall buildings twisted into strange, distorted shapes—as if someone had squeezed them. They stood at angles so precarious it wouldn't be surprising if they collapsed at any moment.
The wind howled, foul and heavy, like a monster's belch. Despite being outdoors, the air was damp and suffocating, as though I were trapped inside a cave.
A red light flashed from a distorted building's window, followed by a wicked laugh. I felt eyes on me, peering in from all directions. The weight of those unseen gazes grew steadily, pressing down like a snowball. My heart sank as I realized none of them were weak.
Is Eldest Senior Brother in a place like this?
I had felt something similar once before—right after the Black Swamp Demon King appeared.
Back then, ghostly faces had been carved into the barks of trees, and ominous winds had been howling from every direction. But the pressure now was several times stronger than what I had felt then.
—Messenger, have you... completely lost your mind? Do you even understand what this place is? This is Hell! The twisted birthplace of Dark Qi! A land steeped in death itself!!
The Martial God's voice echoed in disbelief.
"Yeah, I figured."
Maybe it was the Dark Qi's influence that I already felt sluggish.
Back in the Butterfly Forest—a mere imitation of Hell forged from Dark Qi—I'd barely lasted before almost dying. So how long could I survive in the real thing? Half a day? An hour?
I decided to ease my biggest worry.
"More importantly, are you sure I can return to my original world?"
—The primordial rule forbids long stays in other worlds. Otherwise, the demon kings wouldn't need summoning rituals to descend. The same applies to you, Messenger. No matter how long you stay, you'll eventually be dragged back.
"Eventually? When exactly is eventually?"
—The timing varies from person to person! That's why I said it was dangerous!
The Martial God's voice sounded unusually angry.
—There's no guarantee you'll survive until then! Why would you do something this reckless—
And just like that, his voice cut off.
"Martial God?"
There was no response. It felt different this time—not like he had fallen asleep, but as if the communication had been forcibly severed.
For the record, I hadn't thrown myself into Hell without a plan. There were risks, sure, but I had judged them worth taking.
By the way, where is Juan? I wondered.
We had entered together, but now he was nowhere to be seen.
Just then, a strange sound like a bouncing ball echoed from somewhere beyond the buildings.
All at once, the unsettling laughter ceased. The presence behind those unseen gazes recoiled, shrinking back as if gripped by fear.
At the same time, I felt a massive, eerie presence drawing nearer. The sensation was one I had experienced before the regression—when I encountered Ahop, the Black Swamp Demon King.
A demon king. The thought alone made me suck in a breath.
Was I finally about to meet Eldest Senior Brother?
I heard gasping sounds and at last, the main character appeared at the end of a deserted alley. Against the backdrop of oppressive darkness, an obese figure ran toward me, kicking a ball as he did.
His waddling gait was as ridiculous as a clown's, and his labored breathing was unpleasant to watch. But strangely, I didn't find it amusing.
Finally, he stopped in front of me.
"H-hohoho..."
By my estimation, he stood around three meters tall. Despite his massive frame, he walked on two legs, had two arms, and wore clothing. Still, that didn't mean I could treat him as a person.
"H-hello...! Human! I-It is nice to meet you."
In short, it was a green tongue dressed in a robe. Clothes strained against his bloated frame, bulging as if they would burst at any second. His thick belly and sagging flesh spilled through the torn fabric in an ugly mess.
It wasn't Eldest Senior Brother, that much was clear.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Ah! I... you know... in your language, uh ..."The monster pulled out a notebook, flipped through it, and then exclaimed, "I am, Tan, ta, ta....!"
I was rendered speechless.
If memory served, that was the name of the Green-Tongued Demon King. It probably wasn't just a coincidence. There was the overwhelming pressure radiating from him, and the uneasy gazes that had vanished the moment he appeared.
I had countless questions for the demon king, but I simply nodded and said, "I am Luan Badniker."
"I see. O-ohuhu ! L-Luan..." Tantata stuttered as he pulled out a rag and wiped away the unpleasant fluid dripping from his body—whether sweat or saliva. Maybe it wasn't a rag but a handkerchief.
Though I had encountered only two demon kings so far, this one left a different impression than Ahop. Of course, that didn't mean I could relax.
Tong... tong...
Tantata continued to play with the ball, bouncing it on his knees, feet, and even his head, all without using his hands. For such a grotesque figure, his dexterity was surprising.
I couldn't help but ask, "May I ask what that is?"
Since he was a god, I spoke politely, though I doubted it would matter whether I used formal or informal language.
" H-huh? A-are you interested in my ball?" Tantata beamed, rolling it toward me. "C-come...! P-pass...! Ohoho... "
The ball rolled to a stop at my feet, and I stood stunned, gazing into Juan's empty eyes "Did you do it?"
"Yes!"
"Why? This human must've been your minion..."
"M-minion? N-no! H-he is my... Uh... " Tantata pulled out his notebook again, flipping through it before speaking. "We were business associates!"
"Business associates?" I asked.
"Or... partners...? U-umm. The language of the continent... is too hard..."
I had no response to that.
"In any case, t-that human... I did a deal."
"A deal... Between you and Juan?"
"Yes...! I-I... respect the creatures of the continent...! I-I envy you!"Tantata wiped the sweat from his body with the dirty rag."I-isn't it good? Between personalities... respect... trust...! If that doesn't work, the deal... can never happen...! W-why should I give what is mine to someone else? H-hohoho...
"T-the deal... it is a good system...! We... should emulate it..."
This wasn't a being I could have a normal conversation with.
I clicked my tongue and asked, "What kind of deal did you make with Juan?"
"I-it is simple... T-this human being... he said he would entertain me...! He said he would give... what I wanted...! In return, he borrowed my power—" Tantata grinned broadly. "S-so... recently... I found out about toys, and I wanted one... I ended up making the Juan Ball..."
I was at loss for words.
"L-Luan? Can you pass me the Juan Ball?"
I didn't do that.
When I only sighed and stood still, Tantata's mood soured. "H-hmm... This game... I guess you don't like it... I-I have to respect... your preference..."
"Where are we?" I asked.
"I-it is my territory...! I-I call this a city... I gave it a name...!"Tantata spread his hands comically. "Hell's Heart...! The only and largest city in Hell...!"
Curious, I asked, "Isn't it obvious that the only city would be the largest? There's nothing to compare it to."
At my words, Tantata cleared his throat vigorously and changed the subject. "B-be careful...! Luan Badniker... I know you call... this world Hell, but...! T-this place... it isn't a dangerous place...!"
I raised an eyebrow. It's a city in Hell.
At this point, I couldn't help but chuckle.
Seeing me laugh, Tantata joined in, though his narrow features made his grin slightly disgusting.
"L-Luan Badniker. Come with me...! I-I was yearning to have a guest...!"
"Guest?"
"Yesss...! Guest...!"Tantata chuckled again, revealing a mouth full of serrated teeth.
"I'm not your guest," I said.
"Nooo...?"
"The one I was supposed to meet was the Colorless Demon King," I replied.
"C-Color... less, uh... "Tantata paused, thinking. Then, as if a lightbulb went off, he exclaimed,"Ah...! I-I see...!"
"According to Juan, I was supposed to choose my destination. So how did I end up in your territory?" I probed.
"T-that... Juan was mistaken... The moment he used the power he borrowed from me... the destination became fixed..."
"So that's how it is," I muttered, inwardly frustrated. It seemed like the Martial God's prediction had played out exactly as expected, and I didn't like it one bit.
"But... you are really... an interesting human being..." Tantata studied me. "If a human sees me... one of two results... They bow down or... lose their minds..."
That seems accurate.
"I-I... a human who can talk to me... it is the first time... Ohoho... I-interesting..."
I sensed the goodwill in his gaze but couldn't shake the unease.
Goodwill, from a demon king?
"H-how about it? Luan Badniker... W-why don't you become my partner?"
"Partner?" I echoed.
"Y-yes... To replace... that human from earlier."
I nodded. "It's an honor that someone as great as you, a demon king, sees me favorably. What will I have to do if I become your partner?"
"N-nothing much. You just have to entertain me once in a while."
"Entertain you?"
"Yes...! The human from earlier... He said he had someone he loved..." Tantata suddenly clenched his fists. "L-love...! T-that feeling... I admire it...!
"T-that human... was suffering from some type of illness... He said he didn't have much time to live... Ah...! W-what weak creatures humans are..."
Tantata sighed dramatically."S-so... I told him... 'Human... give me her heart...' T-the look on the human's face at that time... It was so delicious...! Slurp, p-pardon me..."
He wiped away the dripping drool, then continued, "W-when I asked for her heart, the human cried out, 'I-I can give you anything else...' W-well, he couldn't do that. T-the look on his face when he loses something so valuable... isn't that the most interesting part...?"
What was I even supposed to say?
"As a result... t-the previous human being... He entertained me often... E-even in death..."
I glanced down at Juan at my feet. Perhaps this was how it all began. When he first joined the church, Juan had yet to be corrupted. As a member, he probably believed he could save the woman he loved. But then he lost his sanity. Maybe her death was what drove him to become a priest.
Now, it was all a mystery—the one man who knew the truth was already gone.
"By the way, I have a question."
" H-hoho... you can ask me anything...! I-I know everything my part-ner is curious about... I will answer you sincerely... I have an obligation...!"
Tantata clapped eagerly. His willingness made me feel comfortable asking.
I looked down at Juan's head and asked, "Do you remember this man's name?"
" Huh? " Tantata blinked his narrow eyes.
"The name of the man made into a ball." I clarified.
" Uhh... L-let's see..."
I burst out laughing. He had even given a disgusting nickname—Juan Ball. This being had already erased the very existence of Juan from his mind. This proved that they didn't treat humans as anything more than playthings.
I had a thought when the demon king, Tantata, spoke to me. If we can communicate, can a conversation be established? Isn't it simply a lack of common sense that led him to turn Juan into a ball?
No. Just because he could speak and show emotions didn't make him human. Humans and demons were inherently incapable of understanding each other.
At that moment, I finally understood the unrelenting hatred the Iron-Blooded Lord held for demons.
Then... what should I do? I thought, gripping the coin in my pocket.