Who Are You?
"What the hell is this? Have I finally lost my mind from all this endless hardship... or did you see something from the future?"
"Yes."
"And that's how you recognized me?"
"Yes."
"But what's this about a keyhole...?"
"I'm sorry, but this is all I can tell you. Please understand."
With that, she gave a slight Eastern-style bow and followed the other prisoners.
The terraformed Black Knights loaded the prisoners onto the yacht in perfect order and departed the island.
A keyhole... I mulled over the message she'd left behind when Baldr returned, dragging Choi Ju-bong tightly bound.
"I've taken care of all their leaders, my liege."
"Th-this guy... isn't he a hero?!"
Thwack!
Baldr kicked Choi Ju-bong mercilessly in the side.
"Argh! Owowowow!"
"How dare you spout such nonsense before His Majesty! He is the Great Evil of Ruin!"
"Wh-what?! Then... this is him?!"
Clutching his side and writhing in agony, Choi Ju-bong crawled toward me on his knees and flashed a toothless grin.
"I-I've been waiting for you, Black Sheep..."
Crack!
"Dare not call me that to my face."
I kicked him square in the face, but my rage didn't subside—my fist clenched tight.
Rumble rumble rumble...
Dark energy surged around my body, ominous enough to make even Baldr flinch and prostrate himself.
"Please, compose yourself, Your Majesty!"
"Ugh... sp-spare... me..."
How many times had I seen that face begging for mercy through bloodied, missing teeth?
From before my first regression—and excluding the handful of loops where I died early—I'd seen it in nearly every single one.
Even the loops where I couldn't even avenge myself before dying by his hand numbered eighteen.
"Wh-why... why are you doing this to me...?"
That look of utter injustice in his eyes.
Right—this loop, it was his first time seeing me.
He probably just thought I was some hero.
But that didn't make him innocent in this loop.
The stench of human blood reeked from every inch of him, head to toe.
To use Precognition Chamber, he had to consume massive amounts of blood.
"You ordered my brother kidnapped!"
"Wh-what?! B-but that was your foo—"
"You worm! How dare you make excuses to His Majesty?!"
Before Choi Ju-bong could finish, Baldr flew into a rage and stomped him relentlessly.
Thud! Thwack! Thud!
"Aaaagh! Sp-spare me! Mercy!"
Choi Ju-bong was an awakener, sure—but against the Second Legion Commander of the Demon World, he was just human.
Blood and chunks of flesh sprayed with every kick.
Watching him scream in death throes drained my urge to torment him further.
An untainted mind was remarkably forgiving, it seemed.
"Enough."
"Hah! Hah! Yes, Your Majesty."
I approached Choi Ju-bong slowly as he lay there, too battered to think straight.
"Rejoice. I'm about to grant you mercy."
"...Ugh... mer...cy..."
Squelch!
I plunged my hand into his chest, straight to his heart.
"Gack! Krk... hrrk."
Dark crimson blood gushed from his mouth and chest, soaking me—but I paid it no mind.
Thud.
I pulled the Demon World key from his heart and watched his corpse crumple.
I stared at the blood dripping from my hand for a moment, then shook it off.
"Time to go. To the Demon World."
"Yes! Your Majesty!"
A stench of burning flesh filled the castle.
Balpador had been trying to destroy the Demon King's body for days now.
"Die! Hellfire!"
Whoosh!
Fierce hellfire whirled toward the Demon King—but veered aside, crumbling an innocent wall instead.
"Shockwave!"
Crackle crackle zap!
This time lightning spread across the ground, but it never touched the body.
"Raaargh!"
Enraged, Balpador swung his black sword wildly.
Clang! Clang! Clang clang!
The blade shattered.
Balpador's already hideous face twisted further, smoke rising from his exhausted body.
Is he dead or alive?! A mere corpse couldn't withstand this without crumbling.
As expected of the Demon King.
Even in deathlike slumber, Balpador couldn't scratch him.
That was why such a mighty being had kept him as a subordinate.
"Enough already!"
Balpador screamed at the body, losing all reason.
"I'll end this!"
As he slammed his clasped fists down—
Light flashed from the Demon King's body, and it vanished.
Balpador's fists hit empty air, shattering only the bed.
Boom!
Silence fell over the ruined bedchamber.
Balpador stood dazed for a moment before unleashing another roar.
"Raaaaagh! Baldr! You bastard!"
His bellow echoed through the Demon King Castle all night.
"Phew, we made it just in time!"
Baldr wiped sweat from his brow.
The moment we arrived in the Demon World, we'd teleported the Demon King's body to his ducal castle—barely pulling it off.
Baldr's pre-prepared magic circle for emergencies had saved the day.
After the minor commotion, he left to add more circles around the castle.
Oh ho, perfect. While Baldr's away, I can absorb the mana.
I placed my hand on the massive body to siphon the Demon King's mana.
And shortly after...
The temporary chamber, built to house the giant with just one window for safety, was dim—moonlight barely filtering in.
There, I sat face-to-face with the Demon King.
"...Who are you?"
"And who are you?"
The colossal Demon King had shrunk like melting cotton candy.
And from the voice... it was female!
What the hell? No one said it was a woman! Wait, no—why is it alive?!
Spotting a glaring error in the quest to absorb mana and boost my luck, I glared at the invisible System.
"If you don't tell me who you are, I'll kill you."
Rumble rumble rumble...
The room shook violently; the chandelier on the high ceiling swayed as if about to crash down.
"Kwon Mu-hyuk. The human who'll be Demon King after you."
"Kwon Mu-hyuk?"
Rumble...
The shaking subsided.
The Demon King rose from the bed and approached me.
I leaned back as far as possible, trying to put distance between us.
She examined me closely.
"Oh, right."
She turned and climbed into the bed I'd been about to use. Moonlight silhouetted her faintly.
Damn.
I just hoped Baldr would notice the shaking and rush in.
"You need my mana, right?"
"...Yeah."
Caught off guard by her sudden familiarity, I replied casually and glanced at her reaction.
She didn't mind the informal tone—just lay down and asked me to tuck her in.
Feigning calm, I quietly covered her and left the room.
Baldr was just returning, magic circles complete.
"Why are you out here, Your Majesty? Is the chamber uncomfortable?"
"......"
Sharing a bed with a corpse was uncomfortable from the start, but that wasn't the issue.
"Hey, Baldr."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Was the previous Demon King... I mean, my past life... a woman by any chance?"
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"I mean, was the Demon King a woman?!"
"Whaaat? Impossible! Retract such blasphemy, I beseech you!"
Baldr jumped in denial, so she must not have been.
Then what the hell was that inside?
"For now, come with me into the room."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
We entered together.
The shrunken Demon King had returned to its massive giant form, now lying on its original huge bed—not mine.
Damn, did I just witness the Demon King taking a dump?
"Is the Demon King's body safe now?"
"Yes! I've layered sixty magic circles outside—even Balpador couldn't breach them easily."
"Good. But maintaining it like this won't be easy. If I absorb the body's mana and regain its full power, I can put a stop to Balpador's ambitions."
"Hmm... Indeed. That way, neither Barbatos nor Balpador could steal the throne."
Baldr nodded vigorously in agreement.
Phew, I thought his loyalty to the previous king would make him refuse... Lucky.
Relieved—I'd prepared arguments to convince him—I nodded along.
"Then hasten to claim the mana and ascend the throne, Your Majesty!"
"Yeah, yeah... claim the mana and the throne..."
Wait—absorbing the Demon King's mana would literally make me the Demon King!
I couldn't fathom what the System wanted from me.
Hero one minute, Demon King the next?!
"Come on, quickly!"
Baldr gestured toward the body like a waiter serving a guest.
Worried it might shrink like cotton candy again, I approached anyway.
I'm not the type to back out now.
Cotton candy, woman, whatever—if I didn't absorb the mana, I couldn't boost my luck stat, and who knew what disaster that might bring.
Trembling slightly, I placed my hand on the giant's body.
Whoosh...
Rumble rumble rumble...
Black-blue mana erupted from the giant, flowing into me.
The Demon King's mana merged seamlessly—no issues, contrary to my fears.
It swirled through me, distinct from dark energy.
Now, alongside dark energy and divine power, I harbored mana too.
The mana that had trickled in with each level-up was now a potent new weapon.
"Ooh! As expected of the true Demon King! Only you can wield this mana—no one else!"
What nonsense—Barbatos ate it before!
Baldr's sycophancy made my lip curl.
With the mana gone, the giant body lost form, dissolving into dust midair.
In the dark, empty chamber, the previous Demon King's remains flickered red and faded—beautiful, yet poignantly lonely.
To feel this... an untainted life holds so many emotions.
My own feelings suddenly felt precious.
Sub Quest 'Demon King Ginseng for Eternal Youth!' Completed!
◾ Remaining Time: Completed
◾ Condition: Absorb the Demon King's residual mana to thwart Balpador's scheme. (Complete)
◾ Attempts: 1
◾ Rewards: Massive EXP / Galette de Rua (SS Rank)
Receive rewards?
Y / N
I hit Y. Massive EXP flooded in; light overflowed from my body.
......
…
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