〈 Demons (3) 〉
Tarak located in the northern part of the Tulk Kingdom.
“Huh~ haha—as expected, the air in this neighborhood is amazing. No matter how much I take it, I never get tired of it.”
An ordinary young man with black hair walking down the street took a deep breath and smiled contentedly.
Ken Miyamoto, a demon who mimics his human form.
He walked slowly, appreciating the busy city in a happy mood.
‘As expected, it’s a good thing you came. ‘I already don’t want to go back.’
The environment of the Demon World, which was filled with negative energy, could not have been more difficult for him as a human and an Earthling.
Of course, it could be said that the conditions were rather advantageous for my body, which has now become a devil…
‘But I still like it here more than the musty air there.’
I thought I had become quite accustomed to the environment of the demon world after living there for a long time, but when I came out, I felt like all my senses that had become dull had come back to me at once.
‘It’s already been more than twenty years since I fell into the demon world.’
And that meant that it had been almost thirty years since he had been sent to this shitty world.
Then suddenly.
Ken stopped in his tracks and frowned.
My mind was tickled by the topic that suddenly arose.
If he had returned properly, he would have been living a decent life on Earth by now.
Because he had that level of ability.
But how did it end up like this now…
“…what happened? “I also found someone with useful abilities.”
But the thoughts that had been rising like wildfire died out in an instant, as if they had never happened.
As if a bucket of water had been poured just before the embers started to bloom.
Ken, who looked much more relaxed, recalled yesterday’s meeting.
He was dispatched to this continent on a mission and while investigating information, he discovered a surprising fact.
Earth-made goods that were thought to be unseen in Outerica were being widely distributed.
Of course, it is still only traded among high-ranking people, but in fact, it was a great thing.
‘Because there were more than just one or two.’
The few belongings of the Earthlings that were transferred were not at a level that could have been taken away.
Large-scale distribution carried out directly by large commercial companies.
Additionally, the items obtained in the process were unusual.
Click—Chick!
Ken suddenly entered a deserted back alley, took out a metal lighter from his pocket, opened the lid, and started a fire.
A small burning ember with a faint smell of oil.
It was one of the ‘Earth products’ distributed by an awakened person named Hubert.
“…I never thought I could bring something like this. “You have all these amazing abilities.”
It was an item that could easily be seen on Earth, but in this world, it was literally an item of news from another world.
But I can’t believe I can bring something like that indefinitely.
He whetted his appetite as he recalled the sight of him preparing a feast of freshly made earth food in front of his face.
“…It would be a waste to just leave it alone.”
The day before, the reason he released the information the other party wanted and then meekly retreated was not simply out of favor.
I was just trying to reassure the other person because the preparations weren’t complete yet.
‘I can’t think of that level of ability outside of unique skills.’
A unique skill that he could not use after becoming a devil.
It wasn’t the kind of ability that could be taken away.
The best way was to capture them and use them as slaves, but there was a risk that the opponent could use ‘return’ and escape to Earth.
But that doesn’t mean he can stay by his side and watch over him forever.
‘As expected, the best method in times like this is mental manipulation.’
There was no need to worry about anything else if you made him use his abilities to serve himself thoroughly so that he wouldn’t even think about running away in the first place.
Of course, someday Hubert will become a settler and his useful abilities will disappear, but he said he came to Outerica less than ten years ago, so there was still plenty of time left.
‘The problem is that I don’t have any talent in that area…’
That’s why I needed time.
But that problem had just been solved.
“You’re here.”
Ken’s voice spreads through the back alley.
“Tsk, I’m so busy. Do you really need to tell me to come and go like this?”
As if answering those words, a grayish old man’s voice came from inside the alley.
Then, with the sound of footsteps, an old gentleman appeared.
Wearing a pure white suit and holding a smoothly crafted wooden cane, he gently lifted his white fedora with his white-gloved hands and glanced at Ken.
“No matter how much you do, nothing is free. “You know the price, right?”
“Isn’t this story already over? “I will follow the contract, so let’s go now.”
“Tsk tsk tsk.”
Ken was not the only one sent from the Demon World to this land.
Among them, there was a demon skilled in the mental system, and he also had the means to request cooperation from the other party.
‘Well, I guess I’ll have to help this guy with his work instead. That’s enough to bear.’
After 30 years, he encountered food from Earth loaded with MSG and his eyes rolled back.
Of course, I had no intention of cooperating with Hubert and receiving supplies.
Myeongsaek himself is a count-level devil from the demon world.
Couldn’t he just fart and be fed by a human businessman?
‘And you never know when he might return to Earth.’
You may not know it, but the amount of karma you earn by growing your business like that is probably enormous.
His physical ability is decent, and seeing as he uses his unique skills excessively without any delay, it looks like he has used a lot of points, but it would be better to think that he has at least enough points to return to Earth at any time.
“Let me take the lead.”
“Sure.”
Now was the right time, as the other party was caught off guard by the previous day’s visit, which took place in a friendly atmosphere.
After such a short period of time passed.
Two demons stormed into Hubert’s office.
***
A peaceful meeting where information was exchanged over a meal the day before.
“…What is this?”
A stern voice came out from the space where bundles of documents were scattered across the floor.
Hubert stood up from his office chair and gritted his teeth, glaring at the uninvited guests who appeared in front of him again.
“It’s whatever you see.”
Ken, who responded cheerfully to the other person’s reaction, smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
The moment he tried to run away, which did not match his facial expression, he exuded a murderous spirit that would cut off his head without hesitation.
The attack was fleeting.
He already had a record of hiding in the office without anyone knowing.
The security may have been rearranged again after he left, but it was a little more complicated than yesterday, but at this point, it was just fifty paces to him.
“Hoo this kid…? “This is very interesting.”
Behind him, a pure white old gentleman stroked his beard, looking closely at the girl who had fainted on the floor.
Diana was the secretary of the merchant house and performed minor tasks downstairs.
The reason she was here now was because of her keen sense of smell.
Unlike yesterday, when she was slow to notice the intruder’s visit, she reacted sensitively to a smell she had once remembered, so she noticed something wrong and rushed to warn Hubert, but he also suffered a misfortune.
“why? “Is there anything with that kid?”
“…Ah, for a human being, he has very outstanding qualities. If you take him as a disciple and teach him well, I think he will be a great force. Hehehehe.”
“Tsk, I’ll figure that out later. “Let’s finish this matter first.”
The old gentleman shrugged his shoulders and blurted out a lie.
Even though we were in the same boat, I had no intention of sharing information about this treasure.
‘Oh, I never would have thought that I would find a child holding a fragment of God in the place I reluctantly followed. ‘I got an unexpected windfall thanks to that idiot.’
Unlike Ken, who has only been alive for a few decades and is a non-fighter, he has studied mysteries for over a thousand years.
Although he lacks military power and is still only a viscount-level devil, regardless of that, there is bound to be a difference in his perspective.
Calming his excited mind with his experience, he pretended to be calm and approached the owner of the office, who was unable to do anything.
‘Good, good. If I owe that ruthless bastard with this and get my hands on even the fragments of God…’
The corner of the old gentleman’s mouth rose slightly at the black desire boiling deep within him.
At the same time, for some reason, my liking for the person named Sanghoeju soared.
Isn’t this all thanks to the author?
‘Well, I don’t plan on seeing it that way. At least it won’t hurt.’
That was the greatest favor he could do.
The old gentleman standing in front of Hubert, who seemed to be confused by the sudden situation, raised his fedora.
And the moment a purple light flashed in his eyes.
“What on earth…!”
“Hehehe, it will end soon so don’t resist. “It’s only going to be difficult for you for no reason.”
The mental barriers, including the “Bright View Index,” began to collapse helplessly.
Hubert stumbles and falls helplessly onto the office chair behind him.
The evil energy that penetrated my brain penetrated deep inside, crushing everything that stood in my way without hesitation.
‘It’s pretty good. With this level of mental power, I think it’s better than a mediocre archmage. If Lee had devoted himself to training seriously, he might have reached transcendence someday.’
Even though he doesn’t have much power, his mental strength reaches extreme levels.
If it weren’t for the magician himself, most of them would not have been able to break through the solid wall and would have suffered a mental blow from the headwind.
I wonder if it was a coincidence that he organized such a grand event, and his mental power was truly extraordinary.
‘Phew—that’s a shame. If it weren’t for Frances, I can’t believe that a talented person who would have become a hero if only he had time would be defeated like this. ‘It’s a tragedy, it’s a tragedy.’
However, contrary to those thoughts, there was a subtle smile on his face as if he was happy about the current situation.
Although he was very talkative, he was also a devil who enjoyed the destruction of others.
‘Okay then, let’s start working…’
But that smile didn’t last long.
The inner world reached by crushing resistance without hesitation.
There was a majestic scene unfolding there that he had never seen in his life.
“…What is that…?”
acropolis.
No, is it just a wall?
I couldn’t understand it even after seeing it.
The long wall stretched to the left and right, and there was no end in sight, soaring high enough to reach the sky.
Like a boundary dividing dimensions.
‘How can something like that exist?’
The moment Frances looked directly at that wall, she realized it right away.
That’s not just the scale.
If you hit it a hundred times, your body will be shattered before you even make a small scratch.
It is truly an impregnable barrier with no water leaks.
No matter how intangible this place was, it was something that went beyond the limits of what one could imagine.
This can’t be the inner world of just a merchant…
‘…I’m stepping down.’
Although he did not fully understand the situation, Frances did not hesitate any longer and moved quickly based on his intuition.
An unprecedented sense of crisis that something was wrong rang through my mind.
but.
“Hehe, are you going already?”
He was already in too deep to back out quickly.
‘Something’ blocks his way before he can escape.
The moment he faced it head on, Frances’ soul was violently shaken.
‘Pfft! What is this…!’
This is a world where superiority and inferiority are determined solely by mental strength, and at the same time, each person’s spirit is at its most vulnerable.
As he faced a pair of red eyes that shined like rubies, the very foundation of the being that made up Demon Frances began to distort and reassemble.
‘Oh, no…!’
He tried to resist as much as he could, but in this space where even time lost its meaning, his struggles were fruitless and only scattered.
A moment like an eon passes by like that.
“We’ve come this far. Would you like to talk for a moment?”
To the sweet voice of the being blocking my path.
“…Willingly,”
the dazed old gentleman answered in an excited tone, as if he was filled with emotion.
“I will follow your orders…”
As if possessed by something.
***
“…Frances?”
The corner of Ken’s eye twitched.
And then he carefully called his colleague next to him again.
“Why are you doing that? Is there a problem? “How did the work go?”
It was a question more irritated than worried, but Frances, who was shaking slightly, showed no reaction even while being urged.
No, something had changed.
Stumbling – Stumbling –
Now the pure white old gentleman is staggering in place as if he is drunk.
The wooden cane he was holding in his hand was already rolling around on the floor, and the fedora on his weakly shaking head was hanging precariously, as if it was about to fall off.
“…shit.”
At that point, Ken had no choice but to accept that something was wrong.
As mental abilities have powerful effects, their penalties are also enormous.
I couldn’t believe it, but it seemed like the old man had failed to manipulate his mind.
Against Naburangi, a mere merchant with no special powers.
‘I should kill him.’
Ken’s eyes turned to Hubert, who still had his head down.
It’s a shame, but there’s nothing we can do.
Since the mental manipulation had failed, such an uncertain risk factor could not be left unattended.
He hesitated out of regret, but just before he finally took action.
Frances’ body, which had been staggering, suddenly stopped.
The old gentleman was frozen in place as if he had pressed the stop button.
“Whew—this was rude.”
And the next moment, he began to move smoothly, as if the ice was melting, and straightened his posture with a sigh.
He picked up the cane that had fallen on the floor, straightened his crooked fedora, and straightened his disheveled suit.
“…Frances? “Is this really okay?”
“Oh, don’t worry. “I’m sane now more than ever.”
“What about mental manipulation? Did you finish it properly?”
“Hehehe, it’s me, Frances. “No problem.”
Ken looked at the old gentleman, who answered leisurely as usual.
There was definitely nothing wrong with him.
It was as if the constant stumbling was an illusion.
“But what happened? “Why is it like that?”
That’s why I couldn’t help but ask.
Was there any problem during the mental manipulation process?
Why on earth did a demon who wields such dangerous power react like that?
“Oh, it’s no big deal.”
so that.
Ken couldn’t help but frown after hearing the answer.
“I just came to see my master for a moment.”
“…what?”
“Ah—are you jealous? Hehehe, don’t worry. “He is the Lord of us all, and you too will soon see his true face.”
An absolutely absurd alumni answer.
Ken, who felt something cold about that random nonsense, looked at Frances carefully again.
A white fedora, a white suit, white gloves, white shoes, and a shiny wooden cane.
He looked like a neat old gentleman as usual.
Among them, there was one thing that was different from before.
Those foreign elements were clearly visible to his eyes.
‘The expression…’
It wasn’t an expression that showed a hidden intention like usual.
Softly curved eyes and slightly raised corners of the mouth.
His flushed face, as if he had met an idol, was overflowing with uncontrollable joy and joy.
“…Fuck you.”
A swear word flowed from Ken’s mouth.
No matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t okay.
Even if it turned, it turned firmly.
And the cause of this must be Hubert, the owner of the company, who had been trying to manipulate his mind until just moments before.
‘If we deal with him now!’
He turned his head again in the direction of the office chair.
“under?”
In that split second, I let out a sigh as the world suddenly changed completely.
A space that was the executive office of the Chamber of Commerce until just a moment ago.
The place had somehow changed into a familiar scene.
A purple sky, a black earth, a wide wilderness without a single tree, and a dry wind passing by my skin.
And even the negative energy that fills the air.
“…devildom?”
The appearance was reminiscent of an abandoned land, said to be the most desolate in the demon world.
and-.
“how is it? My ‘World of Macheon’.”
The being that suddenly appeared in the middle of it all with a captivating voice that shook the soul.
It fit into this world strangely well.
“Come on. “In my world.”
It definitely shouldn’t fit.
Unlike that peerless person who is infinitely beautiful, infinitely noble, and who I want to rip out my heart for and offer up right now.
“Now then…”
Like a flower blooming in the middle of the desert.
Lonely and alone—the King of the World smiled.
“Kneel when I say something nice. If you don’t want to be left behind.”
With slightly harsh language that doesn’t match that sweet voice.