Chapter 439: Regret (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 439: Regret (5)
Silence descended the moment my eyes met the Demon Emperor’s.
His unnaturally bright purple pupils, combined with the thick Demonic Qi saturating the air, made the atmosphere crushingly heavy. The Demon Emperor shifted his gaze from me to the Demonic Sword.
“Vice Captain.”
“…Yes?”
“Explain.”
This fucker is so rude.
I couldn’t help but frown at his tone, though I barely managed to restrain myself. He not only looked like a piece of shit, but he talked like one, too. Perhaps I was the only one bothered by it, as everyone else remained deathly still.
Though brief, the exchange was more than enough to convey the meaning. The Demonic Sword glanced at me before answering.
“…A newcomer.”
“A newcomer?”
“Yes… He is our new recruit…”
The Demon Emperor’s eyes returned to me, his purple pupils glinting with amusement.
Crack.
He rose slowly from his seat.
The Demonic Qi in the air began to seethe once more.
…Shit.
I knew instinctively what was coming. There was only one thing that stupid, arrogant bastard would do in a situation like this.
“A newcomer, you say…”
The Demon Emperor stared down at me.
Snap—
And then he vanished.
I tensed my body, bracing myself. I could no longer sense his presence, but I knew exactly where he would appear.
Right in front of my face.
Just as I predicted, the Demon Emperor materialized directly before me.
“Ugh…!”
He lifted me by the throat.
Of course. Given this son of a bitch’s personality, it was the most obvious move.
“Who sent you?”
“Hgh…”
The killing intent lacing his words felt like needles piercing my skin. The Demonic Sword watched on indifferently, as if it were none of her concern.
Damn this bastard…
Was this what it felt like to spit on my own face? The more I saw him, the more I cursed him inwardly.
“You are clearly a Demonic Human… and your cultivation is not low.”
Squeeze.
“Ugh…!”
His grip tightened. I understood then.
This idiot’s pride was wounded because he thought I was some kind of prodigy.
“I asked you a question. Who sent you here?”
A searing heat began to emanate from his hand. If I hesitated any longer, he would burn me alive.
Gritting my teeth against the pressure, I forced the words out. “The Leader… sent me… here…”
“Our Leader?”
His grip loosened slightly at my response. Mentioning the Heavenly Demon had shifted his expression from hostile to curious.
A moment later, the Demon Emperor swung his arm and hurled me against a wall.
Slam—!
Craaack—!
“Urgh…!”
The impact shattered a pillar before I crashed into the wall. My body shuddered violently from the force. Even with my Qi reinforcing my defenses, I couldn’t fully mitigate the damage.
As I fought to stay conscious and cracked my eyes open, I saw the Demon Emperor standing over me.
“The Leader sent you, you say…”
Tap.
He used his foot to lift my chin.
“You?”
The humiliation burned.
“…Yes… The Leader ordered me to join the Black Flame Army and serve under the Captain…”
“State your name.”
I froze at his command.
Oh, fuck.
I hadn’t thought of a name.
A cold sweat broke out on my brow. What should I say? I had no time to think—hesitation meant death. Even if my story about the Heavenly Demon was true, this madman would kill me on the spot if I seemed the slightest bit suspicious.
Treating lives so carelessly… This bastard was truly beyond redemption.
“You are hesit—”
“P-Pal… Pal Jeolyub.”
I clenched my eyes shut and blurted out the first name that came to mind. I had to say something.
But damn it… What kind of name is Pal Jeolyub?
I’d panicked. My original thought was ‘Gu Jeolyub,’ but I quickly changed it, realizing I couldn’t use the Gu surname. So I ended up with Pal Jeolyub.
…Shit.
And that was a clear mistake.
Not the name itself, but the tiny reactions I’d displayed—the hesitation, the suspicious expressions. I was too accustomed to a peaceful life; my face had betrayed me. I was sure of it, because this bastard was me.
Crack.
His finger twitched.
At this rate, I was dead.
Thinking of the flames he wielded, I spoke again. “The Leader… told me to deliver a message, in case the Captain doubted my words.”
The Demon Emperor went still.
Had mentioning the Heavenly Demon given him pause? Though he said nothing, I could read his expression. His eyes commanded me to continue.
I swallowed nervously and went on. “…You have two promises remaining… That is what I was instructed to say.”
“…”
Rumble—
Damn it.
An overwhelming wave of killing intent erupted from the Demon Emperor the moment I finished. To react so violently to a single sentence… This was why you couldn’t live an honorable life, you fool. What a terrible temper. Was he even raised properly?
But that was as far as it would go.
I knew he couldn’t touch me now.
By revealing this, I had implied the Heavenly Demon valued me. Only the Demon Emperor and the Heavenly Demon knew of their pact. My knowledge of it meant he couldn’t act against me, no matter how suspicious I seemed.
After ordering the cult to standby, the Heavenly Demon had no contact with the Demon Emperor until the Demonic Sword’s death. But the Demon Emperor had many reasons to seek an audience. I was counting on that to restrain him.
Even if my words infuriated him, he wouldn’t kill me.
After a long moment of silent confrontation,
Swish.
The Demon Emperor was the first to turn away.
Whew.
Just as I thought.
His killing intent still hung thick in the air, but I had survived.
Cough.
Blood speckled my lips as I coughed. It seemed his attack had caused internal injuries.
That piece of shit…
How dare he treat people like this?
As I wiped the blood away, the Demon Emperor addressed the Demonic Sword. “Report to my quarters, Vice Captain.”
“…Understood.”
With her acknowledgment, the Demon Emperor left the headquarters.
I cleaned my face as I watched him go. That bastard probably left because he wasn’t sure he could control his rage.
What a dumbass.
There wasn’t a single thing I liked about him.
Ptoo.
I spat out a mouthful of blood and pushed my aching body up. My bones screamed in protest.
Crack.
Just as I gathered Qi to begin healing my injuries, a figure appeared before me.
A man with brown hair and striking black pupils. I recognized him.
The Silent Fist.
Hwangbo Seon, the Silent Fist.
A member of the Hwangbo Clan, and one of my subordinates. Seeing him here felt strangely nostalgic.
The Silent Fist observed me silently for a moment.
“Follow me.”
Then, after that curt command, he turned and walked away.
…
What a world, to be treated so poorly by that bastard.
With the Demon Emperor gone, the others in the room finally exhaled and began to stir. I considered my options, but with few alternatives, I chose to follow the Silent Fist.
I was unaware at the time.
As I left the headquarters, the Demonic Sword’s gaze remained fixed intently on my back.
* * *
The Silent Fist led me to a cluster of guest houses—a location I knew well. This was the residential quarters of the Black Flame Army.
…
Black Flame Army. What a shitty name.
For a moment, I thought I might have gotten used to it, but that was impossible. Just hearing it made me sick.
I entered the assigned room, brushed the dust from my clothes, and changed into a clean set. It seemed this would be my lodgings. A few others were present,
…but it hardly mattered. These bastards would probably spend most of their time outside anyway.
Shaa…
As I was changing, the Red Water Snake emerged to greet me. I smirked at the little bastard. It was amusing how it only showed itself once we were alone.
It must have been uncomfortable hiding.
The Red Water Snake had fallen into this world with me—a fact I confirmed when the Demonic Sword briefly vanished. Until now, it had concealed its presence completely, tucked away in my pocket.
Was it a good thing the snake had come along? It was a bit of a hassle, but not entirely bad. After all, this little bastard had saved my life once.
Now that I think about it…
This world should have Red Demons constantly emerging.
But collecting Demonic Stones from them is probably pointless, right?
If this world was an illusion, as I suspected, then it was likely meaningless.
Still, I should try to get one later, just in case.
Though I doubted I’d have much time—probably no more than a few months. I didn’t know the exact timeline, but I sensed it was short.
That bastard has already started moving, hasn’t he?
Given my past self’s paranoia, the Demon Emperor was undoubtedly digging for information about me, the newcomer who’d invoked the Heavenly Demon’s name.
Damn that bastard, couldn’t he have just let it slide?
Of course not…
I already knew the answer. He would never let something like this go.
Sigh…
But there was one thing to be grateful for.
He didn’t discover my true identity.
More specifically, he failed to detect the Gu Flame Wheel Art within me. That was crucial.
My biggest fear had been him finding out. I knew exactly what would happen.
-I am you.
-I came here due to certain circumstances, so I hope you’ll help me.
What would happen if I said that?
Why even ask? He’d snap my neck on the spot.
No amount of proof would convince him. He’d probably burn me alive, convinced it was some kind of trick. Honestly, even I couldn’t predict how that version of me would react.
The Demon Emperor may have been me, but I was seriously messed up back then. I trusted no one.
So, for now, I had to keep it hidden.
…I must avoid using my flames at all costs.
Concealing a Flame Art was incredibly difficult. It was so conspicuous that I’d even earned a ridiculous title in my current life.
The memory stirred my anger again. I suppressed it and turned to my next steps.
I’ll hide my power… but what should I do now?
I wracked my brain, but no clear plan emerged. What did this world want from me? How could I end this trial?
I tried to think of a way,
Tsk.
But no answer came.
Of course, I had to be thrown into hell like this…
Who’s to blame? Me. I’m the one who went crazy over those Heavenly Poison Orbs.
I should have known, given how incredible the rewards were. If I’d known this would happen, I would never have gone after them.
Sigh…
As I let out a deep, pitiful sigh,
Hmm?
I sensed a strange presence approaching from a distance.
When I turned my head to look,
Slam—!
The door was thrown open violently.
What nonsense was this now?
Several figures strode into the room.
“Newcomer!”
What the…?
I focused on the rough voice. It wasn’t just one person. In front stood the Demonic Human who had been guarding the entrance earlier, with several more behind him.
Every one of them wore expressions of amusement and anticipation. Their smirks pissed me off for some reason.
Noting that I had changed clothes, the lead guard chuckled. “Newcomer, you might not know this since it’s your first day, but we have an important welcoming ritual for new recruits.”
“Oh.”
I remembered then. There was a so-called ritual where every martial artist joining this army was beaten with a club to test their fortitude and establish the pecking order.
Judging by the situation, that was why these bastards had come.
“Hah.”
I couldn’t help but let out a scornful laugh.
My reaction seemed to irritate them. The guard’s face darkened. “You laughing, bastard? Seems you don’t know what’s coming.”
“Of course I’m laughing. Isn’t this funny?”
“What? How dare you, you little sh—”
“State your name.”
I cut him off coldly.
The Demonic Humans, including the guard, all scowled in annoyance.
“I’m Seok Do-ah. Make sure you remember it.”
Seok Do-ah? The name made me frown. “I’ve never heard that name in my life. It’s not that I forgot—I simply never knew it.”
“What the hell are you talking about, you bas—”
“What a world I live in, to be looked down upon by a bastard like you.”
I sighed in genuine exasperation. To receive such treatment from a nobody.
I fixed him with a glare. “A welcoming ritual? Fine. This damned ritual.”
I took a step forward, Combat Qi surging around me. I channeled Demonic Qi into my heart, and my pupils grew hot in an instant.
The Demonic Humans in front of me flinched at my transformation.
Seeing their reaction, I smiled. “Let’s get this ritual started, then.”
This was actually convenient. I needed something to vent my anger on right now anyway.