Where the Hell Am I?

A cataclysmic upheaval had swept through the Demon Realm after Lameil Sutrom Devilia ascended to the throne of Demon King.

"The Demon Realm is way too gloomy."

With that single personal gripe as his justification, Lameil began the wholesale urbanization of the entire realm.

Some of the old-fashioned demons protested, grumbling ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about what business a Demon King had with cities, but their objections quickly dried up after Lameil declared that anyone who didn't like it would be sent straight to the Demon Realm's execution grounds. Of course, he really did execute every last one of the demons who kept opposing him to the bitter end.

In any case, once the transformation was complete, Lameil officially renamed the fully urbanized Demon Realm to Demon City.

Next, he implemented full automation powered by magic.

The old ways had been a constant hassle—every tool and device required a fresh injection of magic power each time it was used—but Lameil solved that problem in one stroke.

The invention of the Magic Battery.

A single charge could sustain power for roughly a hundred years. The development of the magic battery caused an absolute sensation across Demon City.

And so the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Force Punk era arrived in Demon City.

After that, Lameil moved on to the final stage of his grand plan.

"Hmm... Next up... That's it! I'll establish a mega-corporation!" Mega-corp.

The term literally meant a colossal enterprise, but in subculture—particularly in the science fiction genre and especially within the cyberpunk genre—it referred to the kind of corporation that ruled over an entire dystopian city.

Before creating Demon City, Lameil had come across a certain web novel recommendation while browsing the internet and its so-called "galleries," inventions brought over by Kim Baksik, one of the heroes from another world. The novel's main genre was cyberpunk. After reading it, he'd thought, I want to create a city just like this.

In other words, the whole "it's too gloomy" excuse had been nothing but a pretext. He'd built Demon City simply because he wanted to live out the setting of a web novel.

Still, the fact that he'd actually made it happen was impressive in its own right.

Thus, Lameil had established Demon City, ushered in the magic-powered automation era known as Force Punk, and was now preparing to found a mega-corporation to complete his vision.

The company he created was none other than the Demon Group.

"Right. The atmosphere needs to be bleak, too."

While cyberpunk was famous for its grim, mechanized dystopia, there was no real need to go that far. Nevertheless, Lameil committed the outrageous act of converting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠an entire well-to-do demon residential district into the Lower-Class District.

The demons who lived there naturally revolted, but Lameil simply told them:

"If you don't like it, you become the Demon King."

And with that, the Demon King—no, the Chairman of the Demon Group—solidified his position as the absolute dictator of Demon City. * * * *

"Huh? Where in tarnation am I?"

Near the Lower-Class District of Demon City, a girl with brown hair tied in a traditional braided ribbon and wearing strange old-fashioned clothes stood there looking utterly bewildered.

"This is mighty peculiar. I was definitely in the kitchen getting the side dishes ready."

The girl's name was Yeonsaeng.

She had been a kitchen maid—no, since she was specifically in charge of the side dishes, she was more accurately called a chanmo—working for the Heo family in Hanyang, Joseon.

She had definitely been preparing side dishes in the kitchen that day. But while she was checking the seasoning on the bulgogi, she closed her eyes to taste it, and when she opened them again, an utterly bizarre otherworld had appeared before her.

"I don't understand this at all. Why on earth am I here..."

While Yeonsaeng was stomping her feet in helpless frustration, a translucent window suddenly floated up in front of her eyes, as if some goblin had cast a spell.

⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙

Verifying user...

Unregistered user detected.

Please state your name.

"Irregular Privilege System... This is a total cheat, ain't it? Wait, how do I even know that?"

She had never seen those words before, and the letters weren't even the Hunminjeongeum script used in Joseon. Yet she could read them perfectly and understood exactly what they meant.

Yeonsaeng's head spun from the sudden barrage of bizarre events.

"Huh? A human? But what's with those clothes?"

"Yeah, it's not that weird for a human to be in Demon City, but I've never seen an outfit like that before."

Just as Yeonsaeng was trying to gather her scattered thoughts, people began gathering around her.

'Demons? Gasp!'

There it was again. A flood of knowledge surged into her mind, instantly informing her that these beings were demons.

"Whatever. Just hand over everything you've got."

The fact that these thugs were openly talking like bandits in the middle of a cutting-edge magic-powered metropolis meant they were bottom-feeders from the Lower-Class District. Whenever an outsider wandered in, they would rob them blind just to scrape by another day.

"Everything I got? I ain't got nothin' on me."

"Huh... That's a weird way of talking. Does she mean she has nothing?"

"Seems like it."

"Hey, you human bitch. Where do you get off lying to us?! Hand it over right now!"

The street thugs drew their blades and began threatening Yeonsaeng in earnest.

"I'm tellin' the truth. I really don't have a single thing on me."

"Looks like we'll have to cut off an arm before you learn. I don't go easy on women just 'cause they're female!"

"Wait, hey! Don't actually—"

Before his companion could stop him, one of the thugs charged at Yeonsaeng.

"Aigoo, I told you it was pointless."

Yeonsaeng didn't even bother dodging the knife.

She didn't need to.

Because for her...

*Crack!* *Shatter!* *Clatter...*

"Huh?"

The thug had figured scaring her with blood would work, so he'd aimed to lightly slice her cheek. But the instant the blade touched her skin, it cracked apart and shattered into pieces.

"Wh-what the hell?!"

"Is she made of steel or something?"

"A m-monster! That's not a human, it's a monster wearing human skin!"

The reactions from the street thugs were all over the place. Some stood there stunned, others stared in fascination, and some screamed "monster" and ran for their lives.

"See? I told you it was pointless."

"J-just you wait!"

Spouting the classic third-rate villain line, the remaining thugs fled just like the ones who had already run away.

"What strange folks."

Watching the demons' retreating backs, Yeonsaeng simply shook her head.

Thanks to the knowledge that had poured in when her privileges were unlocked, she was now able to figure out where she was.

"Demon City. A place where a race called demons lives... It really is a whole different world."

As she was thinking that, yet another group of people—no, demons—began gathering around her.

"Now what?"

This time they were armed demons carrying magic rifles that fired magic bullets. They wore bulletproof vests emblazoned with a "D.C." logo, which stood for Demon Group.

"Yaaawn~ So you're the culprit behind my overtime."

A woman in a business suit with heavy dark circles under her eyes pushed through the Demon Group security team and stepped in front of Yeonsaeng.

"Who are you?"

"I am Mut Robel, Team Leader of the Demon Group's HR Department."

"Team Leader? Well now, you must be someone important."

According to the knowledge in Yeonsaeng's head, a team leader in the Demon Group belonged to the upper ranks of demon society. In other words, a big shot.

"Important, my ass... Would an important person be working overtime at this hour?"

Mut clicked her tongue at Yeonsaeng's comment about her being important.

Then she stared straight at the girl and said,

"Let's have a proper talk, shall we?" * * * *

"She really was a good person."

Yeonsaeng recalled her conversation with Mut.

It hadn't been a very long talk. She'd asked for her name and where she came from. Yeonsaeng had answered her name, but when asked where she was from, she'd vaguely replied that she came from an eastern country in the human realm.

According to her new knowledge, the eastern countries had a similar vibe to Joseon, so that was how she'd answered.

"She said we'd have a proper conversation tomorrow and even prepared a place for me to sleep."

Yeonsaeng was currently inside the lodging Mut had arranged for her. She was glad she wouldn't have to sleep outside, at least.

"Sniff sniff! I should probably wash up."

Her sense of smell seemed to have grown sharper; she could smell herself. This was probably another effect of the "Supreme Body" privilege.

Yeonsaeng used something called a shower for the first time. It was fascinating how the water just poured out like that. What a strange neighborhood.

"That feels refreshing."

After finishing her shower, Yeonsaeng stood in front of the mirror to dry her hair.

"Huh? No... What in the blazes is thiiiiis!?"

Standing before the mirror, Yeonsaeng couldn't help but be shocked.

Something that definitely hadn't been there before her shower was now hanging between her legs.

"Why in the world is a man's root attached to me!!!??"

It was exactly that—a man's root. Otherwise known as a penis. Or a cock.