Temple of the Demon World (1)
Black smoke billowed in.
It seemed to embody darkness and brought back various memories depending on one’s perspective.
The ceiling you look up at just before going to bed, your own secret base made with a blanket as a child, the warm embrace of your mother, etc.
Darkness is rest.
The urge to throw myself into it and gain eternal peace arose.
The shouting figures that could be seen at a glance in the smoke also seemed to be the gestures of acquaintances welcoming them.
Ken, who was happily welcoming the darkness that was slowly approaching him—.
“hey! Wake!”
“Keck!”
He couldn’t even properly resist the vicious force that grabbed the back of his neck.
A body that flutters and moves like a paper doll blowing in the wind.
bang-!
At the same time, a tentacle made of pitch-black smoke crashed into the spot where he had been a moment ago.
What appeared was only a lump of smoke, but it seemed to have physical power of its own, as an explosion rang out loudly.
“I think this guy has lost his taste?”
“After all, that guy is the cause, right?”
A voice mixed with the sound of the wind as it moves quickly.
Ken was still struggling helplessly against the force that was holding him by the back of his neck.
He frowned slightly at that, and when he turned his head to check, he saw that one of Davidson’s heads was running diligently, holding his collar.
“Damn, my head is blank…”
He gritted his teeth as his headache worsened due to the rough shaking of his body.
I couldn’t even control my body properly because I was suppressing my body’s urge to be embraced by that darkness right now.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“at all···. Damn, I think I finally get it now. Did you give yourself up for this? I feel like I have to become one with him right now… Pfft!”
The identity of that black fog is the original owner of the body Ken occupies.
At least now, it is resisting the other party’s ownership claim with a right of possession that has lasted for over twenty years, but it is only temporary and it is not certain how long it will be able to hold out.
‘This is difficult.’
Davidson, who had been diligently playing with his feet, frowned at Ken’s reaction.
[————!]
Even now, the black fog was chasing them without stopping.
It was a huge temple with a ceiling of tens of meters, but the black fog coming from behind was approaching, completely engulfing one side of the large and wide hallway, like a tsunami.
Rumble— rumble!
Of course, it wasn’t that we didn’t fight.
No matter how intangible he was, his “food spirit” and “power of gluttony” were powerful abilities that could devour even intangible concepts.
However, there were some limitations in utilizing it…
In order to use one’s abilities, the act of putting something in one’s mouth and eating it was essential.
‘It’s not that it’s not effective at all, but it’s very inefficient.’
The irregular shape, which resembled smoke, had a very low density due to its large volume.
They say there is a limit to how much he can eat in one bite.
However, since that wasn’t real smoke, it was impossible to use tricks like sucking in all the air at once.
‘But the opponent is not that formidable to just grow bigger and face him. Just by touching it, the curse penetrates the anti-magic power…’
As much as this one eats him up, that smoke also sucks his energy.
And that wasn’t the only problem.
Isn’t his real target not himself, but Ken?
‘You can never give this guy away.’
He had instincts beyond those of an animal and could feel it intuitively.
If you allow it to absorb Ken, something very bad will happen to you.
That was the reason why he didn’t bother to confront the guy and just ran away like this.
“Brother. “Do you have any idea why that guy is in a place like this?”
“Whoa, well. It looks like he was stabbed in the back by the Demon Dragon Duke. “I don’t know the details.”
“Sniff! “That doesn’t help at all, does it?”
“…Okay, I’m sorry. Right now, just controlling my body is the limit. “If you get distracted, you will quickly pass over.”
I already guessed what the guy’s identity was.
The decisive culprit who suddenly disappeared and plunged the entire demon world into long-term confusion.
He was Tanuin, the 15th Demon King who was elected after Leraye.
‘The fact that he’s trapped in a place like this… After all, it must be related to the apostle who visited the Demon Dragon Duke, right?’
Davidson, who checked the prayers engraved throughout the temple through Xenoglossy, was able to quickly figure out who was worshiped here.
‘You’re also diligent. ‘I never would have thought they would go so hard and set up a base.’
Now imprisoned in the abyss—a temple that once served a human god.
Of course, strictly speaking, a new temple was not built in the demon world.
Because the entrance to this space we are currently in was simply connected to a part of the demon world.
The pillar door I saw before entering this place was the connecting link.
‘It may have been possible because of the cooperation of the Demon Dragon Duke… but it is still great. Moreover, the devil actually used his hands to make it look like that.’
At this point, I was starting to wonder where the demon god who was in charge of the demon world was and what he was doing.
Now, unlike a guy who just goes out of his way to do whatever he can without hesitation, I understand that as a complete god, there are a lot of things to keep and a lot of restrictions.
“Huh!”
At that time, as the black tentacle reached out again targeting them, Ken, who was hanging on helplessly, swallowed his breath.
Davidson, who immediately twisted his body to avoid the attack, bit it back and destroyed it, but the black fog that dissipated as the tentacle of smoke broke off had a significant impact on the two.
Crack!
“Ugh—! shit!”
Ken’s whole body wriggles with the sound of his bones twisting, as if he is reaching his limits in suppressing his body.
Davidson also couldn’t help but frown as he turned his head and glanced at his body.
Due to the erosion of the terrible curse, his smooth fur was not only brittle, but began to fall off in clumps.
‘I can’t go on like this. ‘Something needs to be done.’
The insubstantial guy didn’t have a good relationship with him.
Of course, since it is being played in real time, you can endure it if you want to, but the problem is Ken, who still seems to be close to his limit.
A situation where something must be done before he completely collapses.
But how can we deal with the former Demon King, whose very existence has become a curse beyond the level of his spiritual body?
‘As expected, is there only Hans? Hans, the immortal king, would be able to do it…’
Of course, there were some elements of anxiety.
After all, this place is inside the temple of a human god.
No matter how bad it is, this space will be special to even him.
You will be able to understand what is happening here as if you were looking into the palm of your hand.
‘Maybe they’re not just watching, but scanning each and every detail at the level of a precision analyzer.’
It didn’t really matter if it was observed as it was in the current ‘Davidson Mode’, which not only limited its power in many ways but also deeply suppressed the “seeds of madness”.
However, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable revealing Hans’ ability, which could be said to be his greatest strength, to Outerica’s greatest nemesis.
‘Hans’ “Immortal Heart” is also a power derived from the divinity of the one imprisoned in the abyss. Even though they have completely taken over ownership now, we should not give them any room as much as possible.’
A moment when you can’t help but become deeply troubled in many ways.
Then, suddenly, a possibility flashed through his mind.
‘···for a moment? A curse lump?’
The 15th Demon King Tanuin, who lost his body and even his soul was corrupted and became a curse itself.
Although his power and status were still very high, it was clear that his identity was limited as a ‘demon king-level curse’ rather than a ‘demon king’.
‘Maybe this…’
My head was spinning, calculating the number of different cases.
There are three of them, but not only Davidson’s brain, which is not very effective, but also the fresh brains of the other avatars are mobilized.
The conclusion that came from that is…
‘Is this worth doing?’
Very likely.
It was a continuation of the plan.
***
Tanuin was elected as the 15th Demon King after going through all kinds of trouble.
But even after becoming the long-awaited Demon King, he couldn’t just be happy.
Because he was aware of the tricks that the Demon Dragon Duke Krushire, his strongest rival and a strong candidate for the Demon King, had done to eliminate Sentai Leraye.
It was impossible not to know that Tanuin, who was the same duke at the time, also had a hand in the plan.
However, it was also true that it was not a good idea to eliminate someone who had already admitted defeat and had come under his command simply because he was a ‘threat’.
Wouldn’t it be possible to give the impression that the new Demon Lord, who has just risen to the top of the Demon World, is intimidated by his former rival?
So, I was just looking for an opportunity to make an excuse somehow…
The Demon Dragon Duke must have sensed this as well, so he bowed down first and came in.
Even offering a very precious tribute.
“A fragment of God?”
It was a temptation that could not be resisted.
What a piece that fell from God!
Tanuin, who ascended to the position of Demon King and achieved semi-divine status, could see at a glance how great it was.
A divinity that fell from a being equal to or higher than a demon god.
If he could fully absorb this, achieving his long-standing ambition would not be a dream.
For a very long time, every time I looked up at the sky of the Demon World, I had—.
That wish that I, too, would like to cut down the sky.
Of course, he didn’t try to absorb it without taking any action.
No matter what anyone says, it was a gift from the Demon Dragon Duke, who was the top priority.
Using his authority as the Demon King, he verified the risks several times, assumed various possibilities, and made various preparations.
If this bastard has rashly resorted to modifications, we can take this opportunity to completely nip it in the bud.
And finally, the moment when I became convinced that if I had achieved semi-divine status, I would be able to absorb this masterless divinity without difficulty.
He immediately accepted the divinity fragment into his body and—.
[Hehehe— Greed made you angry, Tanuin!]
An unexpected situation occurred and everything went wrong.
It must have been an ownerless divinity, but somehow an apostle who served the owner of the fragment appeared.
“Krewshire! Innoom!”
Through the apostle’s prayer, the fragments and the unidentified god were connected as one.
Together with the Tanuin who swallowed up that divinity.
He was also a being who was building his own divinity by ascending to the position of Demon King, but unfortunately, because he was too greedy, he was swept away by a much more powerful divinity before he could even get used to it.
“Do you really think I’m just going to get hit like this?”
However, he is also a person who has gone through all sorts of troubles and is at the top of the demon world.
The 15th Demon King Tanuin did not just fall as they wanted.
He tore his body apart and scattered it throughout the Demon World so that nothing could be gained through him, and his soul was also transformed into a curse for those who were unable to use it as he pleased.
[···Tanuin. It doesn’t help until the end.]
Although they were severely hindered in the end, Sado and the Demon Dragon Duke did not give up easily.
You’ve used up precious fragments of divinity, but you can’t just give up when something goes wrong, right?
While proceeding with other plans, he planned to collect as much of the scattered debris as possible and extract the power of the Demon King from there.
In order to transplant the power of the devil into his body, just as he had previously become a devil.
[Now it doesn’t matter if the Demon God doesn’t acknowledge it! I will ascend to the throne of the Demon King myself!]
Not only does he have the body of a demon lord, but he actually dominates the demon world and exerts influence.
He was going to become the devil, no matter what anyone said.
Regardless of the devil’s will!
Hundreds of years passed like that.
As planned, the Demon World fell into chaos, and the Demon Dragon Duke also had a busy time collecting the remains of the Demon King and preparing for the ritual.
Then one day, Duke Ma Ryong heard a fascinating story.
About the existence of people from another world who ignore the laws established in the world.
It was not long after that that Ken and other Earthlings began to be kidnapped to the demon world.
***
<High energy approach warning!>
<High energy approach warning!>
<High energy approach warning!>
Countless warning messages appeared above my field of vision.
Hesperon, who was waiting fully armed with titanium and a metal suit that covered him from head to toe, secretly checked detailed information.
-Measured energy: 326,711,730
-Risk level: SS
-Detection of energy response corresponding to Terra-class ship nuclear reactor. Immediately proceed to emergency evacuation sequence.
“wow.”
An exclamation came out without me knowing.
The Terra-class ship was a huge space ship with a battlefield of at least 1 kilometer.
The culmination of a future scientific civilization capable of space warfare using main guns and barriers as well as warp navigation.
‘A single entity contains that kind of energy?’
It’s already in such a bad state that it’s in ruins, but it’s still like this.
Even considering that this was the Demon World, it was at an absurd level.
Grumble— rumble!
The vibration sound that was heard from far away gradually gets closer.
Hesperon, who had been pacing around with a nervous look, slowly took a deep breath and finished his final preparations.
With a clanking metallic sound, the titanium parts covering his right arm were released and disappeared into thin air.
Now all that’s left is a bare arm wrapped in a bandage with a mysterious symbol on it.
He looked down at his right hand, which looked meager compared to the rest of his suit-clad body.
[————!]
At that time, an empty cry rushed to where he was.
When I glanced up, I saw a three-headed dog and a devil with its mouth hanging loosely approaching.
“Okay then, shall we get started?”
Grumbling—
The bandage unraveled uncontrollably and rolled up above the shoulder.
What was clearly visible on the outside was the shape of a black dragon wrapped around the entire arm as if it were a tattoo.
But it was no ordinary tattoo.
Grumble!
As if to prove it, the dragon that had been moving arbitrarily along the skin came out with a pitch black flame.
“The Right Arm of Longing” has been sealed for a long time without being able to make a big contribution.
The black flame dragon sleeping inside it slowly grew in size with its eyes burning.
“It’s been a while, huh? Okay then…”
Of course, he couldn’t do anything about that ‘demon king-level curse’ at his current level.
Since there is a significant difference in level, if they hit each other properly, they will not be able to last long and will be absorbed and disappear.
Along with its host, Hesperon.
However, if one ability is added, the situation changes.
“Try eating until you’re full.”
Now, it seems like a new thing to say.
「Curse Predator」
Hesperon was immune to all curses.