EP6. Amusement Park
Abandoned sewage treatment plant.
Drip—
A droplet of water fell onto the pooled filth on the floor.
The stench was so foul that no ordinary person would dare set foot inside.
It had once been a facility for collecting and purifying sewage, but now it lay abandoned, a troublesome eyesore no one knew what to do with.
The surrounding area was a wild mountain, empty save for the occasional military outpost and curious wild animals passing through.
Creeeak.
The door creaked open, and someone stepped inside.
Thud, thud!
Baaah!
Baaah!
"Good, good."
Belphegor, cradled in the arms of a massive goat-headed monster, sniffed deeply, savoring the aroma of excrement with her enormous nose.
The monster carried her to the deepest part of the facility and gently set her down.
Splosh.
Belphegor's body sank deep into the sewage, submerging up to her neck.
Gas leaked from the rotting waste, bubbling up like a boiling pot.
Bubble bubble.
Splash.
With only her face protruding, Belphegor grinned in delight.
Among the Seven Demon Kings, Belphegor ruled over Sloth—and she adored human excrement above all else.
She loved inhaling the nose-piercing stench and coupling amid it, her greatest pleasure.
"Baaaaah!"
The monster let out a long bleat, and a line of human women filed in from the entrance.
Any normal person would have retched or collapsed from the smell alone.
These women, however, showed no reaction whatsoever.
Belphegor's eyes gleamed with lust as she scanned them.
"Ohhh.
Such cute little things."
Squelch.
Belphegor's long finger brushed a woman's face.
Chunks of filthy sewage dripped onto the woman's pale skin, smearing it, but she didn't flinch.
None of the women were in their right minds.
Their eyes were vacant, souls already subjugated by the demon.
Reduced to mere breathing dolls, the women slipped one by one into the bubbling sewage.
"Delicious."
Belphegor flashed a wide smile and dunked her face, leaving only her eyes above the surface.
At that moment—
Belphegor's movements halted abruptly.
"...Ja-gan has fallen."
"Baaaaah!"
"Looks like that meal I thought was easy had some sharp thorns after all."
Belphegor's eyes turned to the goat monster.
"I'll recover here.
You go find Lucifer's soul fragment.
Absorbing it will put me ahead of the other Demon Kings."
Gurgle.
"Baaaaah!"
The goat-headed monster bowed deeply and exited the sewage plant.
From within the now-closed chamber, faint moans echoed.
Jae-jun entered the house with Hye-seon.
It was the home they'd always lived in, yet an awkward atmosphere hung in the air.
"...Wanna eat?"
"Hold on. I'll set the table right away."
Hye-seon said little even after hearing about Jae-jun's exploits and true identity.
If she'd gotten mad about him keeping it secret, it might have eased his mind.
Her silence left him fidgeting uncomfortably.
Soon enough, the table was neatly laid.
"This soybean paste stew is delicious."
"Oppa."
Hye-seon set her spoon down with a sharp clack.
Her head was bowed low, hiding her face.
"Oppa, don't do anything too dangerous.
Promise?"
Jae-jun gazed at her quietly for a moment.
You're the only one who worries about me like this, my one and only sister.
He chuckled softly and ruffled her hair.
"Don't worry.
Your oppa's tougher than you think."
Hye-seon nodded once more and resumed eating.
After dinner, Jae-jun returned to his room and first pulled the orb containing erased memories from his inventory.
As he grasped it, an item description window appeared.
Grade: None
An orb containing the forcibly erased memories of the user. Using it will restore the memories.
What the hell is this?
He'd half-suspected as much, but the description confirmed it was about his own erased memories.
Jae-jun felt a chill at the thought of using the orb.
Fear of the unknown—what those memories might hold.
Still, I have to use it.
Would you like to use the Orb Containing Erased Memories?
As Jae-jun opened his mouth to confirm, a jolt ran through him, like an alarm blaring in his head.
A cold gaze and presence prickled from right behind him.
Someone's here!
Jae-jun drew Lucifer's sword and whipped around in a swift arc.
Shunk!
The blade passed right through?
Incredibly, the sword sliced harmlessly through the intruder's body.
"Who the hell are you?"
The man wasn't East Asian.
Tall and stately, with light brown hair falling to his shoulders—a Westerner.
The man frowned at Jae-jun's question.
"Swinging a sword first thing? You're as repulsive as ever, human.
Ptooey!"
As he spoke, the man's form flickered and glitched like a broken TV.
An illusion?
The figure had no substance.
Each time Jae-jun's hand swished through his face, it distorted with a zzzt.
"You filthy human scum, you're pissing me off—stop that right now, you arrogant prick.
Tsk. Primitive humans are just no good."
"What?"
Primitive?
Jae-jun's face twisted. He'd heard that tone and voice somewhere before.
"Did you just call me a primitive human?"
"Yeah.
Primitive human.
Why the sour face?
If you were right in front of me, I'd crush you in an instant. Shame."
No way?
Suspicion in Jae-jun's mind hardened into certainty.
"You... the Host?"
"That's right.
Finally figured it out?
I'm Green Swallord.
Host of that godforsaken arena you're competing in."
Jae-jun was beyond absurd—he was dumbfounded.
"What the hell are you doing here?
No, wait—how do you even know where I live?"
"I'm not here for trash like you. I'm after the young Red Dragon!
You think I'd waste time on a human bug?"
Then—
Green Swallord's face flushed beet red with sudden rage.
"Speaking of which, you can't even grasp basic etiquette, can you?
When a guest arrives, you offer a seat and tea first."
"Can you even drink it?"
"..."
Green Swallord glared murderously at Jae-jun, then spun around and plopped onto Jae-jun's bed.
"The reason I'm here is simple.
I'm asserting my perfectly legitimate rights."
"Rights?"
"Yes.
Hand over the Red Dragon you possess."
"You're insane."
The words slipped out before Jae-jun could stop them.
Showing up out of nowhere and demanding Hestia?
If Green Swallord were physically present, Jae-jun would've lunged and decked him.
"What did you just say?
You really want to die, don't you?"
"That's you.
Coward who can only visit as an illusion.
If you wanna fight, drag your ass here in the flesh."
Green Swallord's eyes bulged at the provocation, glaring daggers.
But Jae-jun had no reason to fear a mere illusion.
Green Swallord's eyes twitched, and he sighed heavily.
"...That Red Dragon isn't for the likes of you to keep!"
"Hestia is my summon."
"Insolent fool.
Treating a dragon as a mere summon is offensive in itself!"
As the conversation dragged on, Jae-jun noticed something odd.
Why was he so obsessed with Hestia?
"What gives you the right?
You some kind of dragon?"
The probing question made Green Swallord flinch.
"..."
"I heard dragons were wiped out in the war against the demonkin.
Was that wrong?"
"Not the demonkin!
If not for that cowardly traitor Barak!"
Green Swallord bellowed, veins bulging.
"That bastard dug a trap and betrayed us, scattering our clan across dimensions!
The great dragon race was never exterminated!"
So that's it.
Jae-jun nodded, understanding now why he'd come all this way.
"So you are a dragon?"
"What?"
Only then did Green Swallord realize he'd blabbed too much and clamped his mouth shut.
"But why take Hestia?
She's just a kid."
"None of your business.
Shut up and hand her over."
"Nah, don't wanna.
Why should I?"
Green Swallord faltered at Jae-jun's casual refusal.
"Y-You arrogant worm!
A mere human defying a dragon?"
"You.
Are you out of your mind?"
Jae-jun stepped right up to him deliberately.
"Why would I listen to someone weaker than me?"
Jae-jun channeled his energy, unleashing raw killing intent.
Illusion or not, Green Swallord paled, his form distorting and flickering wildly as if about to vanish.
"Fine!
S-Stop!"
As Jae-jun eased off, the shaking stopped abruptly.
"Hoo.
You.
Everything you hear from me now stays secret. For that Red Dragon's sake too.
Got it?"
"Spit it out first."
Green Swallord ground his teeth and muttered lowly.
"This concerns my entire clan.
Swear it seriously—on your mana. Never reveal it anywhere."
"...Fine. I swear on my mana to keep your words secret."
You have made a Mana Oath.
From now on, you must keep Green Swallord's story secret.
Penalty for breaking the oath: Loss of all mana
Jae-jun jumped at the system window before his eyes.
A Mana Oath was real?
Watching Jae-jun's reaction, Green Swallord sighed in relief.
"Each dragon lineage has unique abilities.
Green Dragons like me can forge metal freely. Blue Dragons resurrect the dead.
And...
Red Dragons..."
"Red Dragons?"
Jae-jun's eyes widened at Green Swallord's explanation.
"What?
That's for real?"
Thank you.