Is This the Demon Realm?

"Aigoo, I'm dying..."

Thud—I collapsed straight onto the room floor. Mentally and physically, I was already at my limit. Whether it was because I'd fully merged with this avatar or not, the green slime caked all over my body felt disgustingly sticky, sending chills down my spine. The only silver lining was that this mystery goo didn't stink to high heaven.

"Let's see... so the current situation is..."

One phrase had been nagging at me relentlessly, twisting my senses into knots.

What the actual fuck is this bullshit?

"Monthly 8.3 billion...? You gotta be kidding me."

My entire fortune was 300,000 won in the bank, 500,000 in cash, and 400,000 set aside for rent. Hell, I was even living in this dump of a room at half price because it belonged to my dad's friend. And now they want me to cough up hundreds of billions every month?

"Does this even make sense? This is a straight-up Gate Installment scam!"

I yelled into the empty air, and sure enough, the system popped up text on my retina like it was waiting for me.

"Terms? What lunatic writes terms like this? I never even saw them!"

"What kind of terms are these? It's just some shitty ad copy!"

The whole thing screamed lowlife scammer.

"Oh, and look—they buried the installment amount in tiny ant-shit font."

I didn't know who was behind this scam, but uncontrollable rage made my body tremble. Still, I had to keep my head cool, even if the anger boiled over. I couldn't ignore those system messages floating there.

The hook they'd used was pure con artist, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but the power behind it was off the charts. Considering the freakish, supernatural vibe, the terror hit hard: what if they really seized my soul for missing payments?

But hundreds of billions a month? How the hell was I supposed to pay that?

"Stay calm. Just stay calm."

From years devouring isekai novels, systems rarely gave impossible missions. Grind through hell, and a path always opened.

'Wait, it said I bought a Gate on installment...'

I stared hard at the system window still pinned to my retina.

Unfriendly and scammy as hell, but I had to dissect every line. Could be traps, could be my only hints.

For now, sadly, my true body was a larva. The avatar I'd picked was pretty but stats-wise total garbage.

But I got this Gate privilege. No clue what Gate Shop vs. Dimensional Shop meant yet, but I'd figure it out. Years as a shut-in analyst and critic hadn't been wasted; gauging utility would be easy.

'Eliminate hostile lifeforms...'

That one scared me straight. But there had to be a way. This Gate was mine, after all. Controlling environment, climate, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠terrain, resources—that juicy authority was the key.

Leverage the Gate's situation, resources, and those shops right, and maybe I'd see a way to pay off the insane installments. Dealing with hostiles would just be part of it.

If my hypothesis was wrong and payment was impossible? Fucked. Like all-in on shitcoins down 95%, or insisting the final wave would moon right up to delisting.

Suddenly, something felt off. This didn't look like a strange isekai or Gate interior. Just my rundown officetel room.

"...No way!"

Dread hit; I rushed to the window. Normally, cramped old alleys and buildings pressed close. Nothing. Endless vast plains stretched from the officetel, no buildings or people in sight. Far horizon: a volcano spewing black smoke, mid-eruption.

"Ah... so this really is inside the Gate."

Did just me and the building get dropped here, or all the residents too? No clue.

"Ugh."

Dizziness hit; I gripped the windowsill. Water and power still on? Food?

"System, how do I manage the Gate? How do I get food and water?"

"What a fucking asshole..."

10 years at over 8.3 billion monthly? Nearly a trillion won. And now 10 million per question? Not content with the installments, now consultation fees too.

"Got some balls, huh?"

Didn't even surprise me anymore. What should've been isekai, hunter, or territory management had twisted into apocalypse survival horror.

I had to wrench it back to hopeful hunter or territory builder somehow.

Time to move. I locked the front door I'd flung open falling. Ransacked cabinets and fridge for food check.

Inventory: 12 small cup ramen, 8 rice pouches, 8 2L water bottles, bit of Chinese kimchi, and blessedly 3 spam cans, 20 coffee mixes.

Sink tap worked—water flowed. City supply or last dregs from rooftop tank? Unknown. But in apocalypse, water was life-or-death priority.

Oh yeah, I'd been wandering naked, slimed up. Water confirmed, shower urge hit hard.

"Right, wash first. Clean up, calm down, sort shit one by one."

Shower then boot PC. No way I'd slime up the chair.

Grabbed bathroom doorknob—then that grotesque scene flashed back.

"..."

Didn't that massive Zhang Fei head burst from the toilet earlier? No guarantee it wasn't still hunkered inside.

"No way it's still curled up in there, right?"

Logically, nowhere else for that giant thing to go. But positively? Maybe a temp-summoned delivery guy like the system conjured.

Reality said former; this madness said don't rule out latter.

'Think positive.'

Hand tensed on knob—then dread chained: if it was in there? Eye contact, then what? 'Hi, nice to meet you, please take care of me'?

If it spoke back fine, but 'Oh, dinner time? Bon appétit!' and chomps me?

"Ha... fuck."

Why did the genre keep leaking into horror? Couldn't tremble outside forever. Do or die. Worst case, beg for painless death.

I twisted the knob, flung the door open.

Bang—!

"..."

My eyes widened in horror. Where the tub should be: that Zhang Fei head, mouth gaping freakishly, lying staring at the ceiling. Where the fuck was the body? Head solo-living?

Beyond rational, grotesque sight left me staring blankly. It rolled its eyeball sideways, met my gaze. Rasped like scraping metal:

"Aiyoo, my lord! Here to bathe? This servant shall serve with utmost devotion! Kekekeke!"

"..."

What the hell do you say to that? The massive head stared with overly eager, sparkling eyes. Felt like I had to respond, but brain freeze.

"Um... where's my tub?"

Cautious question—head guffawed heartily.

"Kekeke! My lord, no water lines to this building. Tossed the useless tub; this servant fills its place to serve!"

"Water... came out though."

"Hot water desired? One moment."

Head strained eyes intensely, then unleashed eerie cry.

"Ekyakyakyakya—!"

Rumble—gush!

Steaming hot water poured from its maw like a waterfall. Looked like hacking up phlegm—nauseating.

"Gul, kol, gulgulgul!"

(My lord, now! Bathe before it cools!)

Mouth full, garbled sounds—but meaning drilled straight into my brain telepathically.

"..."

Staring at hellish hot spring visuals, survival instinct I'd just felt shriveled.

Demon realm, not Gate?