Chapter 275
Chapter 275
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 275
Chapter Title: Celestials and Demons (2)
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Rokan, enveloped in a burst of light, reappeared at the spot where he had fallen from the airship and fought the Imugi.
With only Seraholm and this location saved in the Heavenly Rune Book, it was inevitable.
His combat status had been released, so he could have used a return scroll to zip straight back to Border Village. But the point was to throw them into confusion.
Only the user themselves knew what locations were saved in the Heavenly Rune Book.
Naturally, their search radius would widen, and time would be delayed.
"Return."
In the meantime, Rokan tore another scroll.
He was back in Border Village.
Since they had confirmed him using the Heavenly Rune Book, he figured the search of the village would be delayed instead.
"Getting to the Demon Realm is straightforward enough."
He immediately approached one of the demons dispatched to Border Village.
"Oh ho, Divine Beast Hunter?"
The demon recognized Rokan right away. He sniffed at him, as if detecting some curse or scent lingering on his body, then flashed a satisfied smile.
'A bit creepy.'
The title Divine Beast Hunter, whose effects were all question marks. It gave him an odd sense of unease, like he'd put on something wrong-side-out, souring his mood. But the demon scout seemed to welcome it.
"Indeed, a talent like you is always welcome! Head to that sunless forest over there and find Tulakhon. He'll take you where you need to go."
"A sunless forest..."
The place he pointed to was a forest not far from the village.
True to its name, the forest was so densely overgrown with foliage that it formed a dome-like canopy, letting in not a single ray of light even during the day. A gloomy, shadowy place.
But with his Night Vision, Rokan had nothing to fear.
He resummoned the unicorn that had been auto-unsummoned during his use of the Heavenly Rune Book and rode it inside in no time.
'This is bad.'
The moment Rokan entered the Sunless Forest, he realized something was wrong. This place had terrible compatibility with the divine beast unicorn.
As soon as he passed the entrance, he felt intense hostility.
The monsters dwelling in the forest were one thing, but it felt like the entire forest was watching him.
"Unicorn, unsummon."
Rokan had no choice but to release the unicorn's summon.
"Wing mode."
Instead, he spread his Gale Wings and began low-altitude flight.
Summoning Kai would be tricky in these narrow paths, and flying high up wouldn't help him find his way anyway. This was just right.
"Over there?"
Surprisingly, as Rokan ventured in alone, the hostility circling him vanished completely. It wasn't because he was a demon, but due to the madness emanating from him.
Madness Contagion, which reduced opponents' stats and induced fear.
Exposed to that aura, the creatures tucked tail and fled.
Demons might seem greedy and violent, but they were more flexible and understanding toward the strong than anyone.
After pushing deep inside like that, a fairly large building came into view.
"Tulakhon, was it?"
Recalling the name he was supposed to meet there, Rokan strode right in.
"Hmm, no entrance door?"
Something was off. The outer perimeter was wide open with no door at all, but the inner walls, like castle battlements, had no visible way in.
"There must be something inside..."
Rokan even wondered if he'd come to the wrong place.
After circling the entire structure, he realized there really was no door.
"Need a quest item? No, he didn't mention anything like that."
He naturally thought of the quest, but he'd never heard anything about that.
So what now?
After a moment's thought, Rokan stared at the wall and raised his fist.
If there's no door, just make one, right?
One Strike of Ruin would open a path clean and neat.
"Wait! Stop! Hold it!"
Just then, a frantic voice stopped Rokan.
[Demon Realm Gate Manager Tulakhon][Lv 403]
"Tulakhon?"
"Yes, I'm Tulakhon. So stop!"
"Hmm."
Rokan was tempted to pretend he hadn't heard and throw the punch anyway, given the desperate plea. But there was no reason to start trouble at the entrance.
He lowered his fist with some regret, and only then did Tulakhon pat his chest and let out a deep sigh.
"You idiot, do you even know what's inside? Of course, it wouldn't collapse from one punch... But if this thing goes down, it's real chaos!"
"Oh? Then maybe I should test it."
"No, I was just speaking figuratively! Argh, I can't even talk to you."
Offended by the demon's words, Rokan raised his fist again, and Tulakhon frantically waved his hands to stop him.
It seemed something truly important was inside.
'Now I'm really curious...'
What the hell was in there? He was dying to know but suppressed it. He wasn't planning to become a demon anyway—just complete the quest, and later he could sneak in or smash it to check.
With that in mind, he quietly listened to what Tulakhon had to say.
"Fine, I need to get you out of here quick. You want to go to the Demon Realm, right? Follow me!"
Seeing Rokan who looked ready to actually smash it if left alone, Tulakhon led him away with a defeated expression. Better to ship him off to the Demon Realm fast.
But the path he led them on was a bit strange.
"Hm?"
"What? Watch closely and follow quick. Only this spot has the spatial transfer magic."
'No wonder I couldn't find it.'
A dog hole. The entrance into the inner area was at a low position, requiring him to hunch and crawl on all fours.
'Do I really have to follow through that?'
Rokan placed his hands on the ground and crouched low, crawling.
If this was a prank, he vowed to definitely smash that wall earlier, and chased after him.
"Huh, where's this?"
Passing through the door enchanted with illusion and spatial transfer magic revealed an entirely different space.
It resembled a warehouse or a lab.
But the real surprise was the 'floor.'
"Demons?"
Beneath the glass-like transparent floor, demons with black wings swarmed.
'But somehow...'
Something was off. Malnourished? They looked like they hadn't eaten in days, utterly listless.
No, looking closer, some were so emaciated their bones showed. Yet their eyes burned with madness.
"Heh heh heh, surprised? You'll see this a lot from now on, so don't get scared already."
"Hmm, this..."
Even for demons, could he enjoy his kin's suffering like that? Well, possible. But his excited demeanor sparked another hypothesis in Rokan.
'Come to think of it...'
Looking closely, they were demons, but oddly familiar. More like other faces than the demon scout in Border Village.
'No way...'
Celestials.
What if the ones below weren't true demons, but celestials forcibly corrupted?
"Come on, this way."
As his suspicions deepened, Tulakhon completed his chant.
Focusing his power drew black mana from somewhere, bolstering it.
Woooong!
A pitch-black gate opened in front of Rokan. A warp gate leading somewhere in the Demon Realm.
Seeing the demons writhing in agony below, he could guess the source of that power, but Rokan turned away.
Even if so, what of it?
They might seem cruel, but ultimately, they were 'enemies.' Mortal foes who fought with killing intent.
If they tortured and brainwashed such enemies, Rokan had no place intervening.
'Even celestials wouldn't be any different.'
He'd already seen the true face of the celestials.
With so little info known, and given their nature and pride, it wouldn't surprise him if they did worse behind the scenes.
"Thanks, then."
Instead of doing anything for them, Rokan lightly stepped into the gate to the Demon Realm.
The same dissonance as a teleport magic circle, and the scenery shifted.
[You have entered the Demon Realm entrance.]
The method was questionable, but he liked how fast it was. Unlike the long airship flight to the Heavenly Realm, he'd reached the entrance in one go.
Quite a few glanced his way, intrigued by a human—not a demon—visiting. But that was it; like in the Heavenly Realm, interest quickly faded. Demons weren't the type to care much about others.
"Hm, so that's how they look."
Rokan was intrigued too. The only demons he'd seen before were the scout in Border Village.
Still, it wasn't surprising.
Exactly as expected for demons.
Those with bat-like wings were ones who'd pledged to the demon faction despite their race. Pure demons matched the depictions in myths and legends.
"Horns..."
Rokan stared at the horns jutting from their foreheads.
The source and weakness of demon power. Soon, he moved on. Staring too long might invite trouble, and he had things to confirm.
'Demon hearts, huh?'
The ten demon hearts needed for the Heavenly Realm pass. To get them, he needed to know where 'demons' were.
Switching factions and sprouting bat wings wouldn't count as full demons.
Nor could he pick fights in a village like in the Heavenly Realm.
And Rokan confirmed something quite interesting.
"These ones are closer to humans?"
Surprisingly, demons were classified as 'nobles.' Demonic beasts tainted by demonic energy or half-hearted faction-switchers were treated as commoners or lower class, just like in the Heavenly Realm.
Another surprise: 'pure demons' weren't one type.
Vampires, werewolves, mummies, hell mists, and more—many races received noble treatment.
"Nice, I might collect them all in one go."
So, which to pick?
Rokan first mapped out where they formed cities or tribal enclaves. He gauged their power and gathered rumors.
No one in the neutral human faction would spill to a mere human easily, but money was great law.
When Rokan promised heaps of coins, volunteers overflowed.
Demons were the ultimate individualists, after all. If it benefited them, they'd smile watching the guy joking beside them die.
'Might be my bias.'
But the devs probably shared that bias in the setting.
Thus, Rokan easily bought a map and marked their locations.
The Demon Realm was vast with many wanderers, so the map was spotty and incomplete. But compared to the picky Heavenly Realm, it was a breeze.
Need fame to shop here too? Sure, such hurdles existed, but shoving coins solved them instantly.
'Money's the best!'
Grinning at demons even more capitalist than humans, Rokan felt pleased.