Chapter 412
Chapter 412
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 412
Chapter Title: The Demon God Stone
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Doesn't seem like some two-bit nobody."
An Ebony Wing floated above Hailz's head.
"At least legion commander level... so why's something like that hanging around here?"
"Yeah, right? What's so great about this place?"
Ye-ryeong tilted her head, utterly baffled.
The temple they were staying in was truly nothing but ruins—utterly barren.
It was land even the three great demon kings who divided the Demon Realm had abandoned for lack of sustenance. Yet the sheer magnitude of demonic energy emanating from that spot was anything but ordinary for something to settle there.
"What do you think, Soo-hyuk?"
Ye-ryeong, about to ask Soo-hyuk's opinion, glanced around.
Soo-hyuk was gone before she knew it. Whether he'd used stealth or zipped away on a bolt of lightning, she couldn't tell.
"Where'd Soo-hyuk go?"
"He's coming back from over there."
Hailz pointed to Soo-hyuk approaching from the opposite side of the temple.
Rejoining the group, Soo-hyuk spoke as if he'd overheard their conversation.
"Probably because of this."
In the blink of an eye, he'd gone somewhere and returned—now clutching a tiny gem the size of a mung bean in his hand.
"What's that?"
"No idea what it is exactly. But I can tell it's something demons would find awfully tempting."
Demonic energy pulsed from the bean-sized red gem.
To demons, it probably felt like a nourishing tonic or elixir.
Hailz was the one who identified it.
"It's a Demon God Stone."
Naturally, all eyes turned to Hailz.
How do you know that?
"I heard about it from the Lord. He said there's a gem in the Demon Realm that boosts demons' power. Looks like they come from here too."
"Of all places, in this abandoned temple?"
"That's why it got reclaimed, right?"
Fair enough. Soo-hyuk nodded.
At any rate, they now had a rough idea why a new master had appeared in the temple.
"If we play this right..."
Soo-hyuk rolled the Demon God Stone around in his palm and muttered.
"...we might get to meet the Three Great Ones pretty easily."
"What're you thinking?"
Soo-hyuk nodded at Hailz's question.
"Got an idea. Not a sure thing, though."
"What if it's not sure?"
"To make it sure, we'd have to go in there."
And naturally, the gazes shifted.
Cheonma, meeting their eyes, scowled.
"What?"
"Need a demon like you for it."
"......Me?"
"Yeah. You're the shadiest one here."
Unable to argue, Cheonma drew a line in the sand and replied bluntly.
"No."
A throne sat at the heart of the dilapidated temple.
There lounged a towering, muscle-bound man with coppery skin, dozing off.
The king of the abandoned temple, Belzerion, lifted his head.
He'd sensed an unfamiliar presence not far away.
"We have guests."
The beauty fanning him languidly with a fan beside him asked.
"Were guests expected today?"
"No. Uninvited ones."
"Oh dear. Guess they're demons marked for death today."
Demons didn't call each other demons—they used "magi" among themselves.
"Why come here, though?"
"Obvious, isn't it?"
Belzerion toyed with a red gem in his hand.
"They're after this."
For a split second, greed flickered in the beauty's eyes as she stared at the gem. But she quickly blinked it away, regaining her composure.
Hundreds of demons had died coveting that stone over the years. Belzerion killed any who even thought of crossing the line.
"You may withdraw."
Belzerion dismissed the fanning beauty and eyed his subordinates below the throne.
They knelt in obeisance.
Among them, he addressed the demon bowing foremost.
"Bring them."
"Alive?"
The question came from Ksamon, Belzerion's left-hand demon.
Ksamon handled all the temple's dirty work with his body. This was just more of the same.
Belzerion frowned at Ksamon's query.
"Use your judgment. Bring 'em alive if you think they should live. Kill 'em otherwise."
Do as you see fit.
In other words, he'd take the blame if things went south.
Ksamon knew the subtext but said nothing. Arguing here could cost him his left-hand status—or his life—anytime.
He bowed his head in reply.
"Understood."
Ksamon rose gracefully with a nod and led his demon squad to find the intruders heading for the temple.
Usually, it was one of two types.
'Either real threats... or small fry sniffing around without knowing better.'
The former might be an emissary from one of the Three Great Ones. Lately, even the three demon kings had started coveting the Demon God Stones from this temple.
Ksamon hoped for the latter. Easy kill, no fuss.
But the moment he spotted the intruders approaching the temple, instinct told him otherwise.
'This won't be easy.'
Thud. Thud.
Two men approached the temple.
Shabbily dressed.
They looked like low-rank demons on the surface. But Ksamon caught the unmistakable scent of power they couldn't hide.
'Inspectors.'
Approaching in disguise, hiding their strength? Had to be undercover.
He couldn't tell which faction, but eyeing this place meant one of the demon kings' sides for sure.
Orders were orders, so Ksamon blocked their path.
"What brings you here?"
Ksamon kept it polite for now.
Couldn't gauge their strength properly, and if a demon king backed them, he couldn't afford rudeness.
Soo-hyuk and Cheonma received the greeting.
Unlike the visibly grumpy Cheonma, Soo-hyuk bowed politely to Ksamon.
"Pleased to meet you. Just a passing demon—mind if we crash here a bit?"
That confirmed it for Ksamon.
'Undercover, all right.'
But such an obvious undercover op?
They weren't even trying to hide. That meant one thing.
'They want something.'
Ksamon's eyes gleamed.
These showy inspections usually meant bribes. And for a rundown temple like this, only one thing fit.
'After the Demon God Stone.'
Knowing their goal eased Ksamon's mind.
If it were a takeover bid from a specific demon king's faction, that'd be a headache.
Demon God Stones? He could spare plenty—the temple basement was lousy with them.
"Plenty of rooms to spare. Come on in."
Ksamon guided them. The battle-ready demons relaxed at his lead.
Soo-hyuk and Cheonma followed meekly. Once safely inside, Soo-hyuk sent Cheonma a mental message.
-Fooled him good, huh?
-Seems so.
-Thanks to your mug and vibe. Might as well play demon full-time.
-Shut your mouth before I make you.
Sure enough, Ksamon focused more on Cheonma of the two.
Unlike Soo-hyuk's plain face, Cheonma reeked of thick bloodlust. Evil recognized evil—Ksamon's instincts were spot on.
Cheonma's thug vibe dodged suspicions, so Soo-hyuk got to the real questions.
"So, what's this place? Building looks rundown, but seems like some big shots gather here."
Ksamon took it as part of the inspection.
"A few years back, Lord Belzerion took over. He's running the temple now."
"Lord Belzerion?"
Soo-hyuk asked, genuinely surprised—no acting needed.
Belzerion.
He knew the name.
One of the only six demon commanders, he'd challenged the King of Greed, lost, and gone into hiding for ages.
'That guy's set up house here.'
Surviving a demon king's challenge proved his strength.
A former demon commander could easily claim a minor temple like this.
The reason his subordinate treated them so courteously? One thing.
'Thinks we're from a demon king's faction.'
Probably figured inspection or audit.
The intended misunderstanding worked perfectly. Let them roam the temple freely.
Best of all, this paved the way to burrow deep into demon ranks.
Guided by Ksamon, Soo-hyuk and Cheonma entered the temple proper.
Unlike the exterior, the interior was surprisingly pristine. Lavish decorations and furniture everywhere, gourmet feasts ready to eat.
Belzerion loved power and luxury—it showed in the temple's guts.
"Welcome."
Belzerion greeted Soo-hyuk and Cheonma.
"From where, may I ask?"
"Just passing through."
"Passing through?"
Belzerion eyed Soo-hyuk's answer suspiciously.
His gaze lingered especially on Cheonma, a step behind. Then his expression shifted.
To one of vague acceptance.
-See? Nailed it.
-Shut it.
Thankfully, Belzerion's read matched Ksamon's.
Guys like that just passing through? No way.
Belzerion grinned.
"Place is a dump—hope it's not too uncomfortable."
"This is plenty fine. Air's great too."
"Great air, eh... Figures it's because of this."
Belzerion flicked the Demon God Stone in his hand toward Soo-hyuk and Cheonma. It rolled like a marble—ten times bigger than the one Soo-hyuk had snagged.
"Got tons of 'em here. Tempted?"
Even mistaking them for demon king's demons, Belzerion didn't hide the stones.
"If you're interested, I could sell some. Pricey, though."
Money was his goal. Once aspiring demon king, he aimed to build his kingdom here using the temple's Demon God Stones.
"Let's make a deal. Something we both like..."
"C-Commander!"
Then—
A panicked voice interrupted.
Belzerion's face twisted. If not for Afgran, his right-hand man, the intruder would've died on the spot.
"Talking to important guests. If it's not urgent, you'll be torn limb from limb."
"Yes, sir!"
Afgran bowed first. But he wasn't worried about his limbs.
Daring to interrupt a former demon commander meant it was worth it.
"The King of Greed's inspectors have arrived."
"King of Greed?"
Soo-hyuk was just as shocked.
The real deal showed up mid-fake act.
Feeling the game escalate, Soo-hyuk smiled faintly.
'Another spoon on the table.'