The Art of Demonic Negotiation

"Arghhhhh! I curse you! I curse you with the entire might of the Demon Realm!"

Demon Duke Gusirek writhed in agony, his voice echoing in a thunderous, desperate roar.

To think he could withstand such torture without his spirit breaking.

Wow. Impressive. He's completely different from Gusion.

Was this the true resilience of a Demon Duke?

After all, a Demon Duke's greatness was measured by his high level, the devastating power of his skills, or the size of the armies he commanded—not by how well he could endure torture.

"What's this? A new black mage?"

"Shh. I heard he's a descendant of Lord Nevuchadnezzar."

"What? A descendant of Lord Nevuchadnezzar? Truly, a noble bloodline."

Though he was a newcomer, Tae-hyun exuded an aura of untouchable dignity. Such was the weight of Nevuchadnezzar's name!

"May I try interrogating him?" Tae-hyun asked, adopting a formal and righteous tone.

"Hahaha! Brimming with confidence, I see!"

"It borders on arrogance! If you weren't a descendant of Lord Nevuchadnezzar, that would have sounded incredibly rude."

"But we shall step aside."

"Only because you are Lord Nevuchadnezzar's descendant!"

"Be careful not to be deceived by his words..."

"Watch out, as he might suddenly lash out..."

"He is bound by the power of chaos, so do not get too close to the barrier..."

Despite their gruff words, the black mages were remarkably cooperative. The name of Nevuchadnezzar was practically a VIP pass!

Impersonating him was definitely the right call.

Resolving to keep riding Nevuchadnezzar's coattails in the future, Tae-hyun stepped closer to the barrier.

"Demon Duke Gusirek!" Tae-hyun called out.

"You wretched black mage! No matter how much vile mana you wield, it can never match the true might of the Demon Realm! You will never break me!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Quiet down and listen. I came here to rescue you."

"Now a black mage resorts to such pathetic tricks! How dare you! Do you honestly think I would fall for such a—Arghhhhh! Aaack!"

Gusirek unleashed a shriek several times louder than any of his previous screams. Tae-hyun had just poured Archisus's Holy Water directly into the barrier. Divine power was far more effective at torturing demons than the power of Hungry Chaos used by the black mages.

Divine power! This energy, which black mages could never hope to wield, was the ultimate tool for tormenting demons.

"Stop! I said stop!!"

"Then listen to me, Gusirek. If you don't, I'll pour another batch."

"I came to rescue you."

"Ha! If that is true, then dispel this barrier and release me this instant!"

"Foolish demon... There are thousands of undead and dozens of Lich-level black mages out there. Do you honestly think you can just stroll out if I let you go?"

"Do you dare look down on me, Demon Duke Gusirek? If you free me, destroying a mere fortress like this would be child's play... wait..."

Gusirek hesitated mid-sentence. He had already lost a significant portion of his power before escaping the Demon Realm, and being imprisoned here had drained him even further. Moreover, since this fortress was located in another dimension, summoning his personal army was out of the question.

"...Actually, it might be a bit difficult."

"Exactly. That's why we need to wait for the right opportunity. Why are you so slow on the uptake? Seriously, are all demons like this?"

"Well, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠no..."

Gusirek was utterly flustered by Tae-hyun's immediate scolding. As a proud Demon Duke, he had never been talked down to like this in his entire life.

"But how can I trust you?"

"What other choice do you have? It's not like you have a better plan."

"..."

He couldn't argue with that.

"Even so, I must know who you are. I cannot trust someone whose identity is a complete mystery."

"Hmm. To tell you the truth, I am the Avatar of Archisus."

"You... You bastard! How dare you... How dare you?!"

Gusirek flew into an absolute rage.

"How dare you defeat my subordinate Calcason! I will never forgive you!"

"??"

Tae-hyun was taken aback when the demon brought up a subordinate instead of his son.

"Who is Calcason?"

"Do not play dumb! There is no way you do not know the demon sealed inside the treasure of the Galkard Dwarf Kingdom!"

Gusirek fumed. Calcason was one of his most trusted lieutenants! He was a demon who had crossed over to the continent, sealed inside a treasure, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He was cunning, powerful, and flawless in every way...

...Until Tae-hyun and his party, who had dropped by the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Galkard Dwarf Kingdom on a whim, unleashed a monstrous barrage of damage and melted him before he could even fully materialize. Tae-hyun and Carbanog had obliterated him so quickly that they didn't even register his name. Did we fight someone like that?

"Look, I didn't have any personal grudge against him. He was just way too weak."

I mean, a proper demon should at least survive a fully buffed, pre-prepared volley from the Archisus Artillery! If he couldn't even handle that, he had no business coming to the continent in the first place.

Gusirek nearly lost his mind at those words. He had already been heartbroken back in the Demon Realm seeing Calcason so utterly depressed, constantly muttering, 'My lord, I am trash. Please do not be kind to a worthless wretch like me...' And now, this absolute garbage of an Archisus follower was rubbing salt in the wound!

"More importantly, you're the one in a desperate position here. Who are you calling garbage?"

Splash!

"Arghhhhh! Screeech!"

"Watch your tone, Gusirek, before I ignite this Archisus Holy Water with Sadiq's flames. I am not your subordinate."

It was an artistic display of layering a horrific threat on top of an already terrifying one. Gusirek nodded frantically. He harbored a deep grudge against this Avatar of Archisus, but he had to endure it for now.

"By the way, aren't you interested in Gusion?" Tae-hyun asked.

"That useless brat disobeyed my orders and ran off, so he must take responsibility for his own actions. I do not care where he is imprisoned."

Despite his harsh words, Gusirek clearly didn't believe it. There is no way the son of a Demon Duke would get captured. It must be a baseless rumor!

"Uh... actually, Gusion really is captured."

"Impossible! That idiot! Where?! Why?! What on earth was he doing?!"

"He got summoned incorrectly by some dwarves and ended up captured."

"I knew it! Those stubby, wicked little pests!"

"So, I rescued him and kept him with me."

"...?"

Gusirek froze. Really? Did that even make sense?

"You must be lying to me... Wait! Wait! Stop trying to light the holy water on fire!"

"Why wouldn't I keep him? I actually cooperate with demons when the situation calls for it. I have quite a few demons under my wing, you know."

Tae-hyun brought up the name of Saruon, the demon blacksmith. Technically, he wasn't lying! Though most of those demons were locked up in cages...

"If it is Archisus, then indeed..."

The name of Archisus carried a strange weight of credibility. A benevolent deity who wouldn't hesitate to join hands with demons! Gusirek seemed resolved to believe him.

"So? When are you going to release me?"

"Hold on. Don't count your chickens before they hatch. If I let you go, how can I trust that you won't turn around and attack me?"

"Haha. On my honor as Gusirek, I—Arghhhhh! Why?! Why?!"

"Ah, sorry. My hand slipped."

"Bullshit!"

"I told you, it slipped."

"Ugh... I swear that as long as you do not attack me, I will not attack you."

"No, that's not enough. You need to offer more. I'm literally saving your life here, aren't I?"

"What more do you want?!"

"You have to aid me in my battles. You're not planning to just scurry back to the Demon Realm, are you?"

"Do you think I would just leave after being humiliated like this?! Who do you take me for?!"

"Right, right. So let's swear an oath to fight together."

"...Wait. No."

Gusirek suddenly snapped back to his senses. Hadn't demons been tricked by Archisus's sweet words in the past, only to be dragged into a massive war involving both benevolent gods and demons? He couldn't let himself be deceived by this silver-tongued follower.

"I almost fell for it. Limit the scope of the battles! I have no intention of being summoned for every single petty fight of yours!"

Tsk.

Tae-hyun clicked his tongue inwardly. He had hoped to milk this demon for all he was worth...

"Limit it to when we fight against that Hungry Chaos bastard!"

"One more thing."

"?"

"If I am attacked by another Demon Duke and request your aid, you must help me."

"Why on earth should I—Hey! Stop pouring that holy water! Let us converse like civilized beings, as befits the avatar of a god!"

The power of Archisus was truly magnificent, capable of making even a Demon Duke beg for a peaceful conversation.

"Well, if I cooperate with you, the other Demon Dukes will definitely see me as a thorn in their side. You know how much they fear Archisus, don't you?"

"Mmmph!"

Gusirek couldn't deny it. If he heard that another Demon Duke had aligned with Archisus, he would have immediately suspected, 'What kind of insidious plot is that bastard cooking up with Archisus? Are they planning to burn down the Demon Realm?'

"Fine! The other Demon Dukes are my enemies anyway. I will aid you if you end up clashing with them!"

"Hehe. Much appreciated."

"So, when are you letting me out?"

"I'll have to think about that starting now. For now, hang in there and keep enduring."

"Wait... Hold on! Hey! Come back here, Avatar of Archisus!"

"I'm going to reconnect the chaos mana, so grit your teeth. It'll hurt less than Archisus's Holy Water anyway."

"Arghhhhh!!!"

Tae-hyun wasn't particularly worried about the situation outside. He had absolute faith in Lee Da-bi. This wasn't the first time they had pulled off a stunt like this, and he knew she would ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠handle the aftermath perfectly.

However, the situation outside was far more serious than he anticipated. Lee Se-yeon had rushed down the underground passage, accompanied by a cohort of holy knights from the order.

"Kim Tae-hyun was kidnapped?!"

"Se-yeon, it's not quite like that..."

Lee Da-bi began to explain, looking thoroughly exasperated. She tried to convey that while it might look like a kidnapping, in reality, Kim Tae-hyun was probably the one doing the kidnapping...

Hearing the explanation, Lee Se-yeon remained skeptical. But still...

"What if he actually was kidnapped?"

"...There's almost no way..."

"But there's still a chance. Tae-hyun needs to prepare for the national team matches. If he gets hit with a death penalty, it'll be a disaster..."

"He said a few death penalties wouldn't hurt him too much."

"He actually told you that?"

Lee Se-yeon looked at Lee Da-bi in surprise. Tae-hyun rarely spoke about his character build or skills to anyone, as sharing such details could easily expose his weaknesses. Yet, here he was, sharing them with his teammates.

He really has changed.

"Still, it would be best to go support him."

"Yes, let's move together."

Lee Se-yeon nodded. Perhaps because of Tae-hyun's notorious reputation, his companions all seemed a bit eccentric. Cain, Jeong Su-hyeok, and Choi Sang-yun definitely felt... a bit unhinged. In comparison, Lee Da-bi seemed remarkably sensible. While others trembled in fear upon hearing she was the guild leader of Power Warrior, Se-yeon didn't share that sentiment. To her, Da-bi was the sole voice of reason in Team KL!

She's so easy to talk to.

With that thought, Se-yeon issued orders to the holy knights. Since they had to traverse the scorching desert above, they needed to make proper preparations.

Rumble, rumble, crash—

"???"

"What was that sound?"

"It sounds like the sky is tearing open!"

Startled, the players rushed out of the passage to check the situation. In the distance, the sky was splitting apart, revealing glimpses of a massive fortress. Even from afar, it was obvious that absolute chaos had erupted around it. Something major was happening!

"...It's Kim Tae-hyun," Lee Se-yeon muttered, her intuition instantly kicking in.

"Pardon? Guild Leader, what do you mean?"

"They dragged Kim Tae-hyun in there, so of course everything is blowing up. There's no other explanation! Let's move. We need to get him out of there!"