Chapter 165
Chapter 165
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: ACT. 29 Devil's Trial (3)
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Why Belial had suddenly shown me Choi Nam-hoon.
That question was answered right away.
Choi Nam-hoon was someone I knew, and the most recent person to enter Hell.
He was showing me an example of what would have happened to me if I had actually been punished in the trial.
“Are you planning to interfere with the contract?”
Even as I spoke, I was tense, worried my voice might tremble.
Showing fear to the opponent.
The moment I gave that impression, the relationship that seemed equal on the surface would shatter.
I had to eliminate fear.
That was the most important condition for facing a devil.
[Unique Effect, 'Watcher Beyond the Screen' maintains your composure.]
...It didn't activate for anything other than fascination with Asmodeus.
It must mean I was that tense.
“You don't seem the type to protect him just because he's your son.”
As the excessive tension vanished, I found the room to smile.
I hadn't let go of my tension completely.
Moderation is always best.
It was best to maintain just enough tension that it wouldn't negatively affect me.
“That's right. Such things are of no importance at all.”
Belial nodded.
The presence that had filled the room just moments ago vanished in the blink of an eye.
As expected, Belial had been testing me.
That answer would likely come across differently to Besial, though.
“...”
Besial's eyes were fixed on the floor.
I felt a pang of pity, but I shook my head to dismiss it.
There was no need to show more affection than necessary.
Thanks to Belial, it had become easier for me to use Besial.
That was the important part.
“Darkness and fire.”
Belial's eyes rested on me.
Did he grasp what kind of power I possessed just from that brief glance?
The eyes of a demon lord, as expected.
They were incomparable to any eye-related trait a player could have.
“Did you aim for this?”
“...I'll leave it to your imagination.”
Belial looked away with a bland expression.
The reason for Belial's reaction lay in the power he possessed.
The ruler of darkness and the king of fire.
Since Belial held both titles, he was naturally more interested in me, who had a similar power composition.
Me obtaining the Black Flame was purely luck. There was no planning involved.
It was a product of chance, but it might have earned me a sliver of favor with Belial.
“Something interesting is happening outside. You should be careful when you leave.”
“Outside?”
“The human world, I mean.”
*Fwoosh!*
Flames erupted from Belial's hand.
It wasn't a simple flame.
The fire of Hell. The highest-tier flame, the Inferno.
I wondered why he suddenly created it, and then, without any warning, he threw it at me.
This is insane.
*KABOOM!*
“What are you doing?”
The Black Moon Divine Sword, which had met the Inferno head-on, trembled violently.
Even after using all the power I could muster in an instant, I couldn't completely offset the force contained within the Inferno.
Belial smiled faintly as if that was enough.
“I just wanted a proper look at that sword. It seemed quite good, but its true form is far more exceptional than it appears. It seems you've received the blessing of that lame god.”
As if his business was concluded, Belial waved his hand.
A gesture of dismissal.
I glared at Belial for a moment, then sighed and sheathed my sword.
Besial, who had been cautiously watching the whole time, seemed to let out a sigh of relief and quickly opened the door to leave.
“The next time you visit.”
Just as I was about to leave through the half-open door.
A faint, barely audible voice reached my ears.
“If you still please me then, I shall give you a gift.”
***
[That succubus must be pretty pissed off by now.]
During the brief grace period before returning to Earth.
A rarely cheerful-looking Besial chuckled, letting out a laugh.
[Ah, serves her right! She used to work me to the bone for all sorts of things because I was weak, but now the tables have completely turned!]
With my punishment revoked, Besial's promotion to an intermediate devil also went through without a hitch.
Losing was the succubus's fault. Failing to regain her energy was also the succubus's fault.
In many ways, the succubus would be unable to recover for some time.
“What about the administrator?”
[For now, I'm continuing in that role. Ah, but even though I'm subordinate to you, I can't use my administrator authority to give you unfair advantages.]
“I know.”
If we did that, both Besial and I would suffer eternal torment in the lowest depths of Hell.
I had no intention of doing that either.
A trial like this? I'll pass on a second one.
I looked around.
There wasn't a single devil to be seen.
Even considering this was near the office of Belial, one of the lords, the lack of even a single guard was...
‘It's only natural.’
Why would he need guards weaker than himself?
Besides, it's not like the cliché of angels and devils waging war was going to happen, so it was even more unnecessary.
[My fath... The Lord seems to have taken a liking to you.]
Besial suddenly brought it up.
I thought he was deliberately avoiding the topic.
[I've never seen him smile like that before. Well, it's not like I've seen his face up close very often.]
“Because you're not worthy of meeting Belial?”
[That was a low blow.]
I thought he would get angry, but he just agreed with a bitter expression.
It seemed he was more depressed about his situation than I thought.
Despite being the child of Belial, one of the top lords among the 72 devils, he was just a low-ranking one.
Considering his other siblings held at least high-ranking devil positions, it was understandable.
“That's a relief.”
<...?>
“That you're just as I remember you.”
Besial stared at me quizzically, as if I were some strange creature.
I looked at Besial and let out a small chuckle.
“Besial. Don't you want to be acknowledged by your great father?”
[What?]
Besial's jaw dropped, his face dumbfounded.
[Well, of course I want that, but do you even know what you're saying...?]
“Don't misunderstand. I plan to use you just as much.”
This is a kind of deal.
A business relationship where we supply what the other needs.
Even though Besial is subordinate to me, if I just make one-sided demands, my actions will eventually come back to haunt me.
<...>
Besial was silent.
Then, at some point, he smiled a smile that resembled Belial's.
[This is why one of the great 72 devils called you an interesting human. He doesn't usually say things like that.]
“I'm honored.”
That was the reason I subjugated Besial in the first place.
To be precise, Besial is an intermediate step.
My goal isn't just to make Besial a high-ranking devil to get something from him.
‘Belial.’
As originally planned, I succeeded in drawing Belial's interest by having Besial become an intermediate devil.
If I can raise Besial to an even higher-ranking devil, I should be able to make a deal with Belial at least once.
I needed to use that opportunity when I require Belial's power in the future.
*Vrrrm!*
Before I knew it, the gate back to the human world had activated.
The message was that I could return when the gate opened, so this concluded my business in Hell.
As I stood up and approached the gate, Belial's words echoed in my ears.
‘Something interesting is happening outside. You should be careful when you leave.’
An event that even Belial would call interesting.
I thought of a few things that could be happening.
None of them had a low probability.
Perhaps several of them were happening at the same time.
All I could do was hope that Hwang Chan-jin had been working hard while I was stuck in Hell.
No, if it's Hwang Chan-jin, he's surely doing fine without me worrying.
‘...Right?’
A sudden wave of anxiety washed over me as I recalled the few times Hwang Chan-jin had shown a side of himself that 'didn't know properly', and I quickly stepped into the gate.
***
When I returned from Hell, it was the dead of night.
I took out my smartphone and checked the time. It was midnight.
It felt like a lot had happened, but not much time had passed.
“You're finally out.”
Someone else said the words I was about to say.
I turned my gaze toward the voice and saw a stereotypical blond foreigner.
I didn't know who he was, but the moment the emblem on the back of his hand was revealed in the moonlight, I was certain of one thing.
Pentagon Eagle.
It was the mark of America's strongest guild.
‘Was this the interesting thing that was happening?’
Paradise had taken a huge blow.
The Stigma Mine, an important source of funds, was irreparably damaged, and they had lost a lot of their forces.
In such a situation, I had expected those allied with Paradise to make a move.
‘But this is too fast.’
That question was soon answered.
Because I saw his sharply gleaming eyes.
‘White Eagle's Eye’.
It was a skill with an effect similar to clairvoyance.
It was a much lower-tier version, but a good skill nonetheless.
He must have seen me being dragged into Hell with that.
Even though Pentagon Eagle was active in Busan, a skill like that would allow him to see what was happening here.
If he rushed over as soon as he saw the mine get wrecked, the timing roughly adds up.
‘Is he the only one?’
Even when I spread my detection wide, I couldn't sense any other presence.
No matter how hard Jeon Do-jin was working in Busan, it would be difficult to completely prevent one person from sneaking away like this.
Still, to come alone.
It seemed I was being seriously underestimated.
“You're pretty famous, aren't you? Kim... Se-hyeon? Korean names are really hard to pronounce. Can't you make them a bit easier?”
“And your name is unnecessarily long. What kind of name is Jacob Rodriguez?”
When I casually recited his name, his eyes narrowed.
But it was only for a moment; Jacob gave a bland smile.
“As expected. A Player should have something up their sleeve. Looks like you have an ability to check someone's information?”
...A Player?
I frowned for a moment at his words, which seemed to lack any context.
“Why are you pretending you don't know? You played it too. End of Apocalypse.”
So 'Player' is just an abbreviation for someone who played the game.
It was a strange choice of words, but it was strangely intuitive, so I accepted it.
“So? You don't seem to have been waiting for me with good intentions. What do you want?”
Jacob's face brightened as if I'd asked the perfect question.
“Good question! That's right! It might not be good news for you, but I do have business with you!”
“Pulling out a gun like that makes it pretty clear it's not good news.”
I examined the gun Jacob was holding.
That was the ‘Pioneer's Rifle’.
A hidden piece existing in the land of America, its attack power skyrockets when trying to expand territory into foreign lands.
Just as I obtained the Sa-in-geom, each country has hidden pieces that fit its history.
It was an item fitting for America, the land of pioneers.
“The main story of 'End of Apocalypse' was set in Korea. Plus, Korean gamers are world-renowned, right? Annoying variables should be eliminated as quickly as possible.”
“...Instead of cooperating to overcome the crisis?”
“We're enough for that, you idiot!”
*BANG!*
A flash erupted from the gun he had aimed in an instant.
Instead of using darkness to nullify it as usual, this time I blocked it with my sword.
‘This is not good.’
The thing I was worried about has happened.
This 'Great Cataclysm' is happening worldwide, and there would be people in other countries who, like me, had progressed far in the game.
Naturally, if they knew the information, they would have moved to take advantage of it.
The Pioneer's Rifle he was holding was one such advantage.
If he'd progressed that far in the original game, he surely had other hidden pieces besides that one.
[Item, ‘Pioneer's Rifle's’ attack power increases by 800%!]
“The moment you use that weapon, you're making a declaration. I assume you know what you're doing, right?”
“This isn't a joke, my Korean friend. I'm completely serious.”
He spun the rifle around like a gunslinger from a Western movie.
That's usually something you do with a pistol.
Seeing him so engrossed, as if he were the protagonist of a movie, actually made me scoff.
“Do you really think this will be to your advantage?”
“Of course. After we get rid of all the Korean Players, we need to claim the many hidden pieces sleeping in this land. How could it not be an advantage?”
As he said that, his focus shifted slightly toward the collapsed mine.
Of course.
Jacob's immediate goal was the Stigma.
“Try it.”
*CLANG!*
The incoming bullet was split clean in two.
Before it could even reach its target, it was swallowed by darkness and vanished mid-air.
Jacob's eyebrow twitched at the almost godlike response.
“If you can.”