Chapter 185: Demon Realm (2)
The heroines I thought I had abandoned and left behind.
The heroines I thought had disappeared were inside me.
I just didn’t know.
They had been with me all along.
Realizing this, my heart warmed.
I was not alone.
All along, the heroines had been watching over me.
Until now, I thought the path I had walked was just a repetition of losing something.
In reality, it was a path of continuous accumulation within me.
“Gasp…”
My eyes flashed open.
I could feel my body and Miso’s hand.
It was a bit dark, but my vision was definitely clear.
I could breathe…
“Cough?! Cough! Cough…”
-My, my. You’re breathing like you’re in the mortal realm. Someone get this guy’s lungs out of his body!-
-I’ll do it.-
The moment I took a deep breath, an overwhelming amount of magic filled my lungs.
The magic instantly tore through my lungs, causing excruciating pain and coughing up blood.
I felt like I was going to die as soon as I woke up.
Suddenly, someone’s hand pierced my body, and the pain that had been piercing my lungs disappeared completely.
“Thank you… Thank you… Cough, cough.”
-No need to thank me. That guy helps handsome men for free.-
-What the…!-
“…”
The playful banter eased the tension for a moment.
I guessed the identities of the owners of these voices, and my body froze.
The air was filled with magic, and if I wasn’t careful, I felt like I would be instantly consumed by the magic and die.
Beings that exhaled magic like breath were chattering noisily in front of me.
I had seen beings like this before.
The Great Demon Belphegor.
They felt just like him.
I didn’t even lift my head, but I gripped Miso’s hand, which was holding mine, even tighter.
“You are…”
-It seems you finally have the余裕 to look around. Is it uncomfortable to breathe? You’re the first person to come here with a living human body, so I couldn’t teach you how to breathe… It seems you’re doing well, so that’s a relief.-
“You’re demons. This is the Demon Realm.”
-Correct, human!-
I dragged my heavy body forward.
At the end of the dark cave.
Beyond the light that streamed in, I could see a waterfall of bubbling lava.
And beside me, two figures shimmered with dark magic.
With their black pupils, they looked similar to the Great Demon Belphegor at first glance.
But as I stared at them, I felt a sense of crisis that I would be devoured, and I couldn’t help but lower my head.
-First, let’s hear your names.-
“Eugene. And this child is Miso.”
-Eugene… And Miso…-
‘They’re on a whole different level than Belphegor.’
They were beings who could make Belphegor look like ‘trash’.
Rebelling against them or crossing them here would be suicide.
No, it might be even more painful than death.
For now, they seemed to be showing me favor, so I had no choice but to accept it…
At least until I could fully grasp the situation I was in.
“Then is this the Underworld?”
-Hmm. That’s both right and wrong? The Demon Realm is one of the four realms that make up the Underworld.-
“Then I would like to meet the Underworld God. Please.”
-The Underworld God…? Ha! hahahaha!-
“…”Did my words amuse you that much?
The two demons tilted their heads and suddenly burst into laughter.
After a long while, their laughter subsided and they caught their breath before thrusting their faces close to mine.
-If you are the God of the Underworld, aren’t you seeing us right now?-
“Yes?”
-The Underworld is the being you call the God of the Underworld.-
“I know that. So the God of the Underworld is hearing my voice right now?”
-You could say that. But the God of the Underworld is not your friend and wouldn’t respond even if you called them–
“······Come out, please. God of the Underworld.”
Rumble!
The moment Miso whispered to the ground.
A great earthquake shook the entire Demon Realm.
It was only a brief vibration, so no major damage occurred.
However, the faces of the two demons were filled with shock.
-Just now······-
-That’s right. It’s what the King of Hell said. He said he couldn’t intervene, so we should figure it out on our own······-
-······-
-······-
The two demons muttered something to each other as they felt the ground.
Then their gazes suddenly fell on Miso and me.
We took a step back from their chilling gazes, and in the blink of an eye, the two demons approached me and grabbed Miso and me.
-What exactly are you? What is your relationship with the Underworld?-
-Who the hell are you that the ‘Will of the Underworld’ answered the call of a mere human?!-
“······!”
Black pupils that seemed to suck me in met my gaze.
I couldn’t turn my head as their gazes approached me.
I couldn’t even think of resisting as I was held captive by their iron-like arms.
-Amazing······ Amazing······ This is so amazing······-
“Ugh?!”
“······Ugh.”
The uncontrolled magic of the two demons seeped into me.
It permeated everywhere, as if it was going to disassemble my body and examine it closely.
However, my body couldn’t withstand it, and my heartbeat gradually slowed down.
‘Damn it. I’m going to die.’
I had survived all kinds of adversity.
And the death I faced at the end was because I was exposed to innocent curiosity.
It was so ridiculous that I could have cursed.
I exhaled a boiling breath and was about to make my last struggle.
-That’s enough. You’re going to kill the esteemed one.-
-Ah······-
-Wh, what did I do······. I’m sorry, I’m sorry? I didn’t mean to hurt you! I’m really sorry. A cute human and······. Hmm. A dead child? I’m really sorry.-
The lava that had been pouring down like a waterfall receded, revealing a passageway.
And through it, another black figure entered.
The pressure that had been supporting me disappeared.
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However, his appearance alone made my pupils lose their focus and wander around, and a headache began to form in my head.
-Hmm. Is it a little uncomfortable?-
“No······.”
Even with the enhanced mental strength trait, this was the extent of it.
The strongest blow since I talked to the God of the Underworld!
I quickly covered Miso’s eyes and closed my own.
-You’re quite quick to react.-
“I’ve met people like you a few times, so it’s become a habit.”
-That’s good to hear. I was wondering if I should bother speaking through another person, but this way, I can talk to you directly. By the way, have you heard the names of these guys yet?-
“Not yet.””These guys… Ugh. I apologize. I acted solely out of my own interests, so I was somewhat, no, greatly lacking in consideration. It’s just bad luck that you woke up while these guys were watching. My name is Wrath. In other words, I am Satan.”
“······.”
My body trembled as I heard that name.
Satan.
When we were developing the game, the name of the final boss we planned for the sequel was Satan.
“What have you done besides tormenting this person since they woke up?!”
“That’s unfair! We were just about to explain everything when you suddenly summoned the Underworld God!”
“That’s right. It’s your fault for giving off such a delicious smell!”
“I’d rather give the Demon Stone to Hwalong. It was my fault for leaving you two here······”
Satan shook his head as he made the two demons kneel.
I was also receiving the treatment of an honored guest for the time being.
For some reason, I felt like I should do this, so I knelt down with Mijeong and listened carefully.
I don’t know why the guy who was supposed to be the main villain of the sequel is being so kind to me.
In any case, I was grateful and listened to Satan’s explanations.
First of all, this place is the Demon Realm.
It is one of the four realms that make up the Underworld, and it is located in the north.
It seems that it is the realm corresponding to the northern pillar of the four pillars that were engraved in the magic circle when I summoned the Underworld God.
Although it is part of the Underworld, there is no way for me to contact the Underworld God again.
The last time I contacted the Underworld God and received his help, it was only possible because it was a special situation.
He only cooperated with me to catch the escaped criminal who had escaped his sight, not because he was particularly interested in me or was being kind.
Of course, it is not a normal situation for me to have fallen into the Demon Realm with a living body······.
From the perspective of a god who governs justice, it is impossible for him to help me.
That’s why he told me to escape on my own and has remained silent ever since.
“Let me ask you one more time. How did you manage to wander through the cracks of dimensions and end up here······?”
“Doesn’t every intelligent being have their own world inside them?”
“That is true. In the Demon Realm, we call it a microcosm.”
“I just kept growing that world. Expanding it within the cracks of dimensions, continuing until it reached another world.”
“······?”
There was a brief silence.
Satan stared at me intently, then turned his head slightly as if he remembered that this would make it difficult for me to regain my senses under the pressure.
He seemed to be simply organizing his thoughts.
“So······. Are you saying that you didn’t wander through the cracks of dimensions? That you didn’t have the protection of a great being, but simply did it on your own?”
“Yes······.”
“It’s hard to understand······. I’ve heard that there is a power that can manipulate the world within, but I’ve never heard of anyone who has used it so recklessly to expand and cross the cracks of dimensions······”
“I was lucky.”
Satan rubbed his temples as if he had a headache.
He seemed to be praising me, but he wasn’t.
I was just lucky.
The crack in the dimension that was transferred by Longinus’s spear happened to be close to the Demon Realm.
If it had been a little further away, I wouldn’t have been able to reach another world no matter how much I expanded my world, and I would have simply disappeared.
‘I can’t go back this way.’
So it is impossible to return to the present world using the same method.
I am not yet a dead body, so I am not receiving any force from the Underworld.
Even so, the distance between the Underworld and the present world is too great for me to reach, no matter how much I expand my inner world.To make it reachable, I have to dye all the emptiness with my inner world······.
If I do that, would I be a god or a human?
-To embrace one more person in that inner world, or even to proceed while dyeing the emptiness. I’m sorry to say this, but I have to. You really are a crazy author.-
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
-Well, since you came all the way to the Demon Realm, it must be fate. I’ll make sure you’re comfortable during your stay. Since all the demons are seeing a living human body for the first time, most of them will react like these guys. So, I’ll slowly teach all the demons how to treat the living without killing them.-
“Thank you for your kindness.”
This is truly a stroke of luck.
There’s no other way to describe this situation.
I ended up falling into the Demon Realm, but the leader is not only friendly to me, but he’s also very protective.
At this rate, I should be able to slowly adapt to the Demon Realm and find a way to return to the mortal world.
But this······.
“Then, would you perhaps be able to support me in researching a way to return to the mortal world-”
-How about we just get married while we’re at it? Some demons may feel aversion towards the living and act hostile, but that will definitely not happen if you marry my blood relative. Even if it’s just for show. Hmm? What do you think?-
“······.”
What the hell is this guy?
I don’t think he has any intention of letting me go.