Chapter 145
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 145
If not for the thrill, what other pleasure could sustain a life so long?
“There he is! The king of demons!”
“The beasts of the Black Forest have emerged!”
People screamed, their cries like those of animals with their throats slit.
“Prepare for battle!”
“Arjio is here! Target him!”
“Kill the wicked beast!”
The screech of clashing steel trembled with rage, fear, and excitement.
“Don’t let him enter!”
“Kill Arji—gack…!”
A death rattle gurgled past the claws buried deep in flesh. A faint tremor ran through the man’s vocal cords, accompanied by a gush of warm blood. The sound of tearing hide.
A vibration shook his entire body. The wind rushed past his skin. A crimson haze obscured his vision. He pushed off the ground with all his might, and the world seemed to shake with him. He was dancing, singing, shouting, and cheering alongside those who bared their fangs at him…
Who will play with me today? Who will be the one to take my life? Yes, let us see, my friends. What kind of painting shall we create next, and with whose blood?
“M-Monster…”
“…”
Ah, truly.
“…Haha.”
Arjio loved the battlefield.
* * *
Animal Kingdom—'Arjio'
Synchronization Rate: 61.9%
“…”
Gio woke from his sleep.
“…Oh…”
He let out a sound of pure marvel.
“That was actually better than I thought.”
“Meung.”
“With thrills like this, it’s actually…?”
To be honest, Gio had been questioning Arjio’s tastes.
Neither as Seo Gio nor as Giovanni had he ever been someone who enjoyed fighting. He disliked conflict by nature and had no particularly active hobbies.
But as the synchronization rate climbed, Gio began to understand.
“He didn’t enjoy conflict.”
Arjio simply…
“…liked the raw, exhilarating clash.”
“Mueang?”
“…Now that I say it out loud, I guess there isn’t much of a difference.”
His hair still a vibrant crimson, Gio chuckled and hugged Dana.
“But being true to your instincts… is much more enjoyable than I thought.”
Gio recalled the dream he’d just had.
It wasn’t about lingering in conflict or animosity. It was about giving everything, body and soul. It wasn’t about enjoying slaughter, but about playing joyfully with everyone on the battlefield. To him, the battlefield was a blank canvas—one that could be stained with blood or filled with discord, and that was perfectly fine.
In the dream, Arjio had been painting. Meeting the gazes fixed on him, roaring back when his opponents roared, and saving the most delicious treat for last…
“…”
Playing like that was actually…
“…quite charming.”
Gio’s eyes curved into sharp crescents.
He wanted to immerse himself once more in that overwhelming ecstasy, to completely cast aside human decency and reason.
* * *
“Good morning.”
“Good morning, my diligent friend,” the Black Cloak greeted him. “Did you sleep well last night?”
“Ah…”
He hadn’t slept well at all.
How could I possibly sleep after hearing all that talk about him being the Demon King?
Ju-hyeon still hadn’t recovered from the bombshell the Black Cloak had dropped the previous night.
Although the culprit himself seemed to have slept perfectly fine, being swayed by the cryptic words of a great mystery was a classic human weakness. Ju-hyeon had been tossing and turning all night, burdened by information too heavy for him to handle.
“…”
Yet, he wasn’t so flustered that he would openly complain.
“…Yes, well.”
“Is that so?”
“I slept well.”
Ju-hyeon offered an awkward smile.
“You’re red today.”
“Didn’t you say you liked this color best?”
“I did think that when you’re like this, your emotions are clearer, making you easier to talk to.”
“An honesty bordering on offensive has long been one of my virtues. Thank you for recognizing it.”
“Haha…”
Observing Arjio, Ju-hyeon asked cautiously, “You seem to be in a good mood.”
“That’s because I had a good dream.”
“What kind of dream was it?”
“A dream where people called me a monster.”
“…And that’s a good dream?”
“It seems so to me, at least.” The Black Cloak’s eyes narrowed like a fox’s. “Though I suppose it wouldn’t be for you?”
“I admit it’s hard for me to understand with my limited perspective.” Ju-hyeon couldn’t deny it. “Doesn’t such an insult… hurt you?”
“…”
“…”
Soon, Ju-hyeon’s face flushed bright red.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s quite a surprising perspective, though.”
“I’m sorry…!”
Ju-hyeon knew all too well how foolish his question was. The Black Cloak was none other than an Evil God. What kind of Evil God would be hurt by the infamy piled upon him? Even if he were a traditional god of providence, whatever humans babbled would mean very little.
But still.
He couldn’t just let it go.
“…”
“…Hmm.” Tilting his head, Arjio asked, “Your face says you have a lot on your mind.”
“…Actually, I do.”
“Then, would you like to talk with me?”
“Would it be an intrusion?”
“A conversation with someone like you is always valuable.”
The Black Cloak gestured for Ju-hyeon to sit at the table and took a seat opposite him.
“I was originally planning to prepare a meal.”
“I’m sorry for delaying breakfast.”
“You certainly apologize a lot. Skipping breakfast once in a while is perfectly fine.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“That sounds much better.”
“…”
Arjio preferred “gratitude” over “apologies.”
“…”
Ju-hyeon clenched his hands.
“Now, let us speak. What is weighing on your mind?”
“…What I have to say might offend you.”
“Usually, when people start with that, it rarely offends me.”
“Then I suppose I can speak a bit more comfortably.”
“By all means. I am all ears.”
“You call yourself…” Ju-hyeon began, his tone extremely cautious. “…a human, don’t you?”
For an Evil God, the Black Cloak had far too many peculiarities.
“Since you said honesty is a virtue, I will speak honestly as well.”
“I quite like that kind of conversation.”
“I don’t know if you calling yourself human is a joke or if you’re serious…”
“I have always been serious. How unfortunate.”
“Even taking that into account, you are an Evil God who doesn’t act like one.”
Ju-hyeon took a quiet breath, his fingertips trembling slightly with fear. He clenched his fists tightly.
“I know you have been considerate of me all this time.”
“That is because I wanted to make you my friend.”
“If not for that, would you have made things very difficult for me?”
“I have no such crude hobbies.”
“If there were someone sick and suffering… how would you treat them?”
“Not much differently from now.” Arjio continued nonchalantly. “If they were wicked, I would pass them by. If they were good, I would treat them to a meal. If they needed someone to talk to, I would offer conversation, and if they were lost, I would show them the way.”
“…Why would you go that far?”
“Because to me, that is not some grand act of consideration or mercy. I simply enjoy seeing someone eat my food with relish, and I like seeing a good, polite person smile.” He spoke as if it were all of no consequence. “There is no grand cause or conviction behind it.”
“…Actually, that is precisely why I am grateful.”
For consideration and mercy shine brightest when they are not grand.
“You really are kind.”
If this was some trick of an Evil God, Ju-hyeon was already thoroughly bewitched. But even if it was all a lie, it didn’t matter. Whatever the true intention, the gentle consideration he felt now was something that could bring comfort to many more people.
Ju-hyeon did not fully trust the Black Cloak. A great mystery was an existence beyond human comprehension; their mercy was not truly mercy, and their love was not truly love. Yet, had humanity not always lived by receiving the affection of gods?
“What other god would cook for a mere human? Who else would wet their hands and stand before a fire, spending their precious time? Yet, you humbled yourself so easily.”
“Aren’t you overthinking a simple meal?”
“You possess neither the arrogance of a god nor the cruelty of an Evil God. You call yourself human and do not look down on humanity as trivial. You have no malice, no murderous intent—only curiosity.”
That was why it was so strange.
“Who called you evil, and why?”
“…That is what people called me.”
“If you became an Evil God solely through false accusations and insults, is that your sin?”
“We all commit sins.”
“At the very least, I know you are not someone who deserves to be isolated in fear and contempt.” Ju-hyeon hesitated but pressed on. “I don’t think you… as the Demon King…”
“…”
“…should be treated like that.”
His voice wavered at the end.
He must be offended.
Having said his piece, Ju-hyeon worried that the other would fly into a rage. To a god who actively sought infamy, even claiming the ridiculous title of Demon King, being told he “didn’t act like an Evil God” could be a massive insult.
Surprisingly, however, the Black Cloak did not get angry.
“…Is that so?”
“…”
“I see.”
He only looked a little sad.
“Do you also believe I lack the qualifications of an Evil God?”
“…No!” Startled, Ju-hyeon quickly shook his head. “No, it’s not that. It’s just a difference in perspective. From a human standpoint, it simply isn’t right!”
He felt a mixture of awe and joy.
Incredibly, Arjio was someone he could reason with. He was an Evil God with whom one could exchange opinions. He possessed no overflowing malice, only the pure curiosity of someone seeking enjoyment.
This gave Ju-hyeon the courage to keep speaking. He felt a spark of indefinable hope.
“I’m sure what I’m saying sounds absurd to you. You might not understand. But the dream you spoke of—the one you said was good—in the end, it means using an innocent person named Arjio as a scapegoat for everyone’s hatred.”
Though he knew gods had their own perspectives, Ju-hyeon had sensed through their conversations that the Black Cloak possessed a certain self-awareness as a human. He was a god with remarkably human qualities.
Even though Arjio was ill-suited to be an Evil God, he had acquired a wicked divinity.
“I… don’t think this is a desirable thing to do, at the very least.”
“…”
“Even though I understand what you want and what you are trying to do, I still feel this way.”
He had said he wanted a desperate battle with a hero. That was likely true. But if a “person” named Arjio had to be condemned by the world and bear all kinds of false accusations for that to happen, it was wrong.
“Please do not make people commit sins.”
“Commit sins?”
“Aren’t you trying to make ignorant people treat an innocent person like a sinner?”
“How is that a sin?” Arjio asked. “A wicked beast deserves to be treated like a sinner.”
“No one should be treated like a sinner unless they have actually sinned.”
“I get to enjoy a high-quality battle, and people get to find someone to blame.”
“That might sound logical, but it is a fundamentally twisted transaction.”
“Are there not many in this world right now looking for someone to blame?”
“Those people have the right to direct their anger in the right direction!” Ju-hyeon grew slightly desperate. “I’ve been thinking about what you said all night. I thought of countless ways to make you the Demon King and give people some breathing room. But in the end, what is left?”
“Well, breathing room for countless people?”
“That isn’t actually breathing room. If people find peace by directing their arrows of resentment at an innocent person, that is merely a form of resignation born from being broken. They only feel comfortable because they’ve given up.”
“What have they given up?”
“They’ve given up on living as humans. They’ve given up on the chance to become better. The world is full of people who don’t deserve consideration, but if we lose even the bare minimum of it, then we…” Ju-hyeon hesitated before continuing. “…will have nothing left.”
Only beasts who could survive by blaming others would remain.
“I might be exaggerating. But you have that kind of influence.”
“I think you are overestimating me.”
“At the very least, there isn’t a single South Korean who doesn’t know the Black Cloak. That is proof enough.” Ju-hyeon pleaded, “Please do not turn people who could remain human into beasts…”
“…”
Arjio remained silent for a long time.
Finally, he spoke.
“You are a hero.”
The Black Cloak pitied Ju-hyeon.
“How pitiful.”
“…Pardon?”
“…”
“…”
In the brief silence, the Evil God’s hair turned black.
“Hmm, is that so…”
“Um…”
“I understand what you mean.”
“…Were you offended?”
“No, it was a valid point.”
He wore a blunt expression, like someone who didn’t know how to show emotion. For a moment, Ju-hyeon wondered if he was angry, but there was no sign of it.
He simply continued.
“So, let us find a compromise.”
“A… compromise?”
“A compromise where people can remain human…”
“Yes.”
“…while I do not get hurt.”
“…Ah…”
It was a word he had spoken himself but never expected to hear from those lips. The Black Cloak had said “hurt.”
Only after a long silence did Ju-hyeon ask cautiously, “…Did it hurt you to be called an Evil God?”
“It served as a great weapon and tool for me.” The pitch-black Evil God continued. “But I was angry.”
He spoke of his pain like an adult reading a fairy tale to a child.
“So, I must have been hurt as well.”
“…That is.”
“I do not know for sure, but probably.” The Black Cloak said, “Thank you for letting me know.”
“…I, just…”
“Shall we eat, then?”
“…”
Unable to smooth the look of bewilderment from his face, Ju-hyeon eventually nodded.
“…Sure.”
He couldn’t tell if this was consideration or stubbornness.
He was truly a strange god.