Chapter 384
Chapter 384
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 384
Chapter Title: Demon Race (2)
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The power of the Main God, the creator of this dimension, was absolute.
It went without saying, since he could dictate the beginning and end of the world as he pleased.
They were so vast that they resembled systems more than personalities, and with near-omnipotent power, they shaped their own domains according to their inclinations.
However, even they, who were close to omnipotence but not quite there, had their limits.
Their sheer size and strength made it impossible for them to fine-tune every tiny, delicate aspect of the world.
Tampering carelessly could cause a chain reaction, crumbling everything connected and shattering the world. Thus, they couldn't intervene recklessly even if errors arose in the dimension.
This was why the degree of divine intervention varied by dimension.
Some were neglectful types who set up a bare minimum and just watched things follow their natural course to avoid losses. Others were interventionist, aggressively investing and placing lesser divinities to manage the world in their stead for greater yields...
Each managed according to their disposition.
The Main God of Outerica was a standard interventionist type.
After shaping the world, he split off parts of himself to create gods who could manage his creations more closely.
These lesser gods had restrictions too, but they could handle far more than the Main God, tending to the world in their own ways.
The World Tree, overseeing nature's abundance and cycles, created the elves.
The Titan, governing fire, metal, and craftsmanship, made the dwarves.
The god of beasts, wilderness, and hunting birthed the beastkin; the sea god made the merfolk; the god of strength and balance created dragons.
There was also a god managing humans, whose short lives burned brightly, producing intense karma with high "profitability."
"Grrr... O Demon God..."
"Huff, huff... What the hell is that...?"
The Heavenly God and Demon God were in similar straits.
To balance the world, the Heavenly Realm isolated excess light energy, while the Demon Realm contained dark yin energy.
They settled in their domains, creating angels and demons.
Thus, vast time passed.
Conflict and harmony, war and progress...
His creations lived fiercely by their values, leaving only karma behind as they faded.
There wasn't only peace, of course, but they advanced steadily without losing balance too badly.
—Until one god became too immersed in his creations, succumbing to greed and crossing the line.
The fallout from a subordinate god rampaging while managing the world in the Main God's stead was no small matter.
Especially since this god, backed by humanity's massive karma output, wielded more influence than several others combined.
Humans exploded in numbers, driving most other races from their homes to new continents.
Dragons, being few elites, fared better, but even they couldn't do much against the rogue god's direct intervention.
Finally, the exasperated Main God uprooted him, sealing him in the Abyss, the dimension's trash bin, to end the chaos.
Erasing him outright risked collapsing the nurtured world, so he merely stripped his infrastructure authority and erased records. But prolonged confinement in the Abyss would naturally dissolve him into the world's fertilizer—a fine decision.
The Abyss existed for that purpose, after all.
...If only he'd stayed put for a few tens of thousands of years.
Trivial for gods, but an eternity for him—the "God of Humanity," steeped in human thinking.
Relentless obsession, impulsive flares like wildfire, unquenchable desires, insatiable greed.
With these, the God of Humanity persistently reached out in all directions without giving up.
His main target was the continent of his humans, but he knew not to pour everything into one plan—that was foolish.
The Abyss drew in all dimensional refuse, after all.
Naturally, sewers and pipes connected it across the world.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ahh! Fresh air! Wonderful, splendid!] [Kill them all! Offer their flesh and souls as tribute!] "Krek! Fall back for now!"
"Damn it! I knew those bastards would cause trouble someday!"
"Monsters from the Abyss...!"
And now.
In a central sector of the Demon Realm.
The sewer filth began to back up.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 'A war breaking out in the Demon Realm...'
In the office of the Hubert Merchant Company's owner.
The demon, Miyamoto Ken, who had visited abruptly, vanished as silently as he'd come.
Leaving behind a promise to return and empty food containers devoured to scraps.
In a way, it was a positive sign.
He had the power to act on ill intent but left peacefully without harm.
This left room for a mutually beneficial alliance...
But Hubert never let his guard down.
'Demons aren't called demons for nothing.'
This was separate from raw power.
Demons could slit your throat even against open eyes—that was their nature.
Ken was a converted demon, so strictly speaking, maybe not, but who knew how tainted he was after surviving eons in the Demon Realm?
'He might show friendliness, then swallow us whole in an instant.'
Thinking it over, even that wasn't so bad.
He was watching now due to unknown repercussions, but if they crossed the line first, he could strip them bare without remorse.
"Um... Sir?"
"Hm?"
Lost in thought alone in the office, Hubert looked up at the caller.
"Are you really okay? That guy who was just here..."
A mature girl gazed at him worriedly, unsure when she'd entered.
Diana, his capable right-hand secretary handling most company affairs.
'She noticed, huh.'
It felt like yesterday he'd found her scrawny in a remote vampire-held town, but well-fed years had shot her up—now a proper lady.
'And that uncanny nose of hers has sharpened.'
Even the True Blood vampire guard hadn't sensed it.
She'd vaguely sniffed out his identity.
Hence her worry.
"Ah, I'm fine. I've got plans."
"That's a relief, but... I don't know if I'm overreacting, but his scent made me uneasy."
"Uneasy?"
"...More like ominous. Bad feeling."
"Hmm."
Hubert stroked his chin slowly.
Diana had an "uncanny sense of smell" and "desperate misfortune."
Now evading fate alongside otherworlder Hubert, but her words as a longtime misfortune specialist carried weight.
"Don't worry."
He'd been slightly conflicted.
It wasn't a light decision.
But her input steeled him.
"I've got solid means."
Time to use everything at his disposal.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I gazed at the various items in the Karma Shop Ver.2 floating before me, feeling a unique swell of emotion.
'...Good, plenty of points.'
Right after repairing the Kanghwan Realm, it was just over 9.5 million karma points.
Now, days later by Earth time, it had swelled past 13 million.
'No major events besides Hubert Merchant Company's business in the interim.'
Terrifying growth.
Cumulative merits piled up over time.
Watching the real-time climb, I felt stuffed without eating.
"Let's start."
With ammo like this, no hesitation.
Unique Skill Reinforcement (2,000,000)
I selected it without pause.
"Ugh."
A familiar headache pierced my mind.
Sharp pain even my mighty mental defenses couldn't block.
Simultaneously, my perception—already vast—expanded further.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Effects of abilities derived from Unique Skill are further enhanced, and the avatar summon range is expanded. After a brief moment.
The message from last reinforcement reappeared.
Reinforcement of Unique Skill-linked abilities and explosive boost to remote summon range—from about 60 kilometers.
'This makes it... around 300 kilometers radius?'
Enough to blanket most of the Korean Peninsula.
Now, with a mere thought, I could freely summon avatars anywhere within.
'Next reinforcement costs 3 million, huh.'
Bitter at the 1 million jump, but I'd expected it and shook it off.
Points overflowed anyway; what I lacked was time to adapt to the enhanced Unique Skill.
'And more pressing matters now.'
Finally creating a new avatar.
Felt like ages since recent reinforcements boosted other abilities.
"11th avatar."
Prep was done.
I took a deep breath and headed to the basement.
Woooong—
There, intricate magic circles and spells emanated subtle presence, densely layered.
All to block internal energies from leaking out.
My residence already had multilayered security, but this space added extreme compound ritual setups.
'Even if Hans unleashes power here without hiding, outsiders won't detect it.'
Full blast might overwhelm, but passive aura was perfectly contained.
The resources sunk in—not counting personnel—were astronomical.
"Alright then."
The next avatar was decided.
I had the materials.
"Finally time to use this."
Woooong—
The moment I brought it out.
The basement barriers lit up, suppressing the aura.
A silver chain blessed by high priests, coiled around it, with sharp metal spikes embedded for fixation—a single arm.
The legacy of Gold Dragons inherited by hatchling Horus, sealed in the Golden Repository: the right arm of the 14th Demon King Lereye.
'Impressive as ever.'
Over a millennium sealed, yet its presence pulsed powerfully.
Without these barriers, Guardians would've swarmed long ago.
"Now..."
Before using Customization.
I searched an item in Item Purchase.
More steps remained.
14th Demon King Lereye's Horn Containing His Essence (4,080,000)
Originally over 5 million; still a staggering price past 4 million.
Never imagined buying it back then...
'Life's unpredictable.'
Until now, I'd used single mediums per avatar—sufficient for targeting races.
'But Unique Skill reinforcement and Customization growth opened new paths.'
Using multiple similar mediums in creation.
What if those were Demon King remains?
Especially the 14th, rivaling prime Immortal King in records?
'Yeah, with 10 avatars already, starting from scratch feels off.'
Gaming trends favored level-jump characters.
Why not me?
Chuckling, I carefully placed the pair of black horns in the magic circle's center.
Smoothly curved, about 30 cm long.
The "essence" made its sealed power dwarf the arm's.
Woooong—!
The barriers ramped up noisily.
Majestic vibrations, glowing halos.
But the massive resources invested gave some leeway.
'Good. Can't hit limits yet.'
One more.
I drew out another item.
A slender silver chain etched with tiny prayers wrapped a transparent glass vial—
Tilting, the black sphere inside rolled.
A ruby-like pupil embedded in its center.
Our eyes met directly.
"14th Demon King Lereye's eye."
From the Church of the Main God's holy site, Roselia Great Temple.
Naturally, not just the Immortal King Fragment was sealed there.
One was this remnant from the Demon King who invaded the surface a millennium ago, slyly pocketed by Heinrich under pretense of eternal destruction.
'...Not really a lie. It'll vanish from the world soon.'
Thus, three Demon King remains as mediums.
Horn with essence, right arm, eye—all from the same entity.
Peak synergy expected.
'This'll be something huge.'
Barriers straining; no time to delay.
I unleashed pent-up anticipation and activated Customization.
And...
"Huh? What is this?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Avatar creation via Customization completed. Unprecedented power surged within.
New to this body, but adaptation was swift.
Handling vast power was routine from other avatars.
Step by step.
A subtle awkwardness as I moved slowly.
Always there with new avatars, but this felt especially alien.
Reaching a corner mirror.
I cautiously looked up at my reflection.
A pair of tall black horns sprouting from my head.
Reverse eyes with red pupils glowing in black sclera.
Jet-black wings tearing through clothes at the shoulder blades.
Undeniably a perfect Demon King.
But an unexpected variable in Customization—
Using too much from one powerful source limited customization slots.
Fine details were adjustable, but major features were immutable.
"14th Demon King Lereye."
Like the black horns.
Or the ruby-glowing reverse eyes.
Or...
"...No way it's female."
The body's gender.
"Haa—Didn't see this coming."
The exotic beauty in the mirror sighed deeply.
In a voice so alluring it could enchant on hearing alone.