Revenge Request to the Demon King 2
I called O Nangryun before heading back to T-12.
"Yeah. What. Busy. Spit it out."
"Hey. You're Belphegor's successor, right?"
"Yeah."
"Heard two of Belphegor's apostles just popped up. You know about that?"
"Nah, no clue?"
"What kind of successor doesn't even know that shit."
"Why. What's up all of a sudden. I'm busy."
"Apostles are your underlings, right? You can boss 'em around however."
"Yeah. I'm basically their master."
"Perfect. Looks like U Mi-young and Han Areum turned into apostles. Hand 'em over to me. You don't even use human bitches anyway."
"Yeah. Got it. But gotta meet 'em to give orders."
"Order 'em when you see 'em! Oh. And I'm heading to T-12."
"Take my girl bears if you need 'em. The deputy commander's been bitching about missing you."
"Fuck off!"
Click. The line went dead.
"Ah, this fucker's ice cold. What the hell's he so busy with?"
I could almost hear him balls-deep in some new monster he'd collected, but I didn't wanna picture it. O Nangryun, that bastard, loves T-16 way too damn much.
U Mi-young shivered in the frigid dawn air of T-12. She'd become Belphegor's apostle and gained immense power, but an inexplicable unease washed over her.
"Sis... is this... really our world?"
Han Areum's vision unfolded onto the glittering Gangnam night streets of Seoul. Past midnight, yet throngs of people strolled about. No thick fog of terror blanketing everything in darkness.
Tears welled in Han Areum's eyes.
"I... I dreamed of this..."
Her large eyes fluttered shut, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Waaah~ Sis... thank you."
Hugging U Mi-young, Han Areum finally let her pent-up sobs burst free. U Mi-young patted her back gently.
The embrace of these stunning beauties looked straight out of a movie, drawing sidelong glances from passersby.
U Mi-young wiped Han Areum's tears with her thumb and patted her shoulder. No matter what, Han Areum was now a fellow apostle of Belphegor—a reliable ally she could lean on.
"You did great, Areum... But we gotta head to the hospital right now."
"Why the hospital?"
U Mi-young explained that another body of Han Areum's lay hospitalized here with some mystery illness—the T-12 body stripped of its soul. Merging T-12's soul with T-16's shell had created Han Areum herself. The revelation hit like a truck.
"This... body's the shell from T-16? And my real body's lying in that hospital?"
"Yeah. Hard to believe, but that's the truth. On the upside, our lifespans are nearly a thousand years now. Shells last that long."
U Mi-young's detailed explanation left Han Areum reeling. Her home world was just one hell dimension, T-12. Dying of old age after a measly century was part of the torment. Belphegor's quests pulled souls from other dimensions into T-16 shells to select apostles.
"So... I passed Belphegor's test and got chosen as an apostle?"
"Yep. Me too. We got a thousand-year lifespan and eternal youth out of it. Now we just follow Belphegor's orders and chase happiness."
"Sis... why did Belphegor pick us?"
U Mi-young paused at Han Areum's question.
"Genius? You graduated college at 18, right? I did at 15."
Han Areum's eyes widened.
"Belphegor only calls souls with exceptional brains to T-16?"
U Mi-young nodded, then realized that wasn't the full story. Chatting with Han Areum made Belphegor's true criteria click. In the taxi to the hospital, U Mi-young stared deep into Han Areum's eyes and decided to share her theory.
"Areum, wanna know why Belphegor chose us? Just my theory, but..."
Han Areum nodded. U Mi-young gazed at the neon signs outside and spoke slowly.
"Genius is just the surface. The real reason... our desires burned hotter than most."
"Desires?"
"Yeah. Normal people hit a wall of morals or common sense. But we were ready to leap over it."
U Mi-young's voice trembled slightly.
"I... lost my daughter Ji-min to brain cancer. She was barely one."
Han Areum's face darkened. She'd never imagined U Mi-young had a child.
"I went insane watching her die. Every night, sobbing, I thought, 'Let every other kid in the world drop dead—as long as mine lives.'"
Tears glistened in U Mi-young's eyes.
"That was Belphegor's test: 'How much would you sacrifice for what you love most?' And 'What choices would you make to fulfill that desire?'"
"So you..."
"Yeah. I brought back a Ji-min from T-16. A shell identical to her. Not the real one, but... I'll love and raise her as Ji-min. Same face. I can make her my daughter."
Han Areum's mouth fell open in shock.
"That kid's a..."
"Shell right now. Yeah, a demon could slip in. But I couldn't let go. If I serve Belphegor faithfully... maybe she'll return my real Ji-min's soul."
U Mi-young grasped Han Areum's hand.
"Areum, what was your desire? What despair did you carry here?"
Han Areum fell silent, then answered slowly. It felt like sitting naked, spilling their souls.
"I... wanted to prove I was special. Called a genius, but I always felt my limits. I wanted to go higher, farther. But my parents treated me like a puppet doll... a pretty plaything."
"That's why... your talents."
Han Areum nodded.
"My twin sister Da-u-mi stole all their love. My brain's sharper, but she was kind. I grew up hearing 'wicked bitch' nonstop. Parents just wanted me married off to some rich guy. The more I think, the more it pisses me off... fuck."
"I see..."
"So I committed filial impiety. Bet Belphegor loved that. Your theory fits, sis. We're the types who'll do anything for our desires."
U Mi-young held her breath. Filial impiety... she didn't want details.
"Regrets?"
Han Areum shook her head.
"Nope. Then or now. I got what I wanted: this perfect body, a thousand years, and above all... true freedom. This is Nietzsche's Übermensch, right?"
U Mi-young smiled. Their minds aligned perfectly—a rare bond.
"Exactly. That's why we were chosen. Honest about our desires, ready to pay any price. Belphegor craves souls like ours."
The taxi pulled up to the hospital. The women exchanged nods.
"Let's go. Time for body cleansing."
"Heehee, body cleansing? Fun way to put it~"
"The White Mask Demon King told us. He's Belphegor's friend—and our greatest ally."
U Mi-young's lashes fluttered as she began recounting how the mighty 'White Mask Demon King' had saved her, their fateful meeting, to Han Areum.
Leaving Han Areum at the hospital post-cleansing, U Mi-young stepped out alone. Han Areum would now bask in the spotlight like Ji Won-young, cured of her mystery illness.
Sitting on a bench, U Mi-young sighed softly to herself.
"Ji-min should be fine, right?"
She dialed immediately. After several rings, a cheerful voice answered.
— Hello? Sis??
"Won-young... I'm back. Coming to pick up Ji-min. Okay now?"
— Oh my gosh~! You're here? How was T-16? The quest?
Ji Won-young's excited voice boomed through the receiver. When U Mi-young returned to T-16 before, she'd gladly taken the baby.
Ji Won-young, connected through the Demon King 'White Mask.'
"Quest cleared. And I'm Belphegor's apostle now."
— Oh my oh my!! Amazing! Sis! Party tonight!
U Mi-young smiled faintly. Ji Won-young seemed like the White Mask Demon King's apostle too. With her power, she'd become an S-rank hunter and Korea's top actress-entertainer.
Handing a baby to her was like feeding Darth Vader—risky—but Ji Won-young accepted eagerly. Couldn't trust Department Head Choi Dong-jin; he'd freak at a revived dead baby flashing Joker smiles.
"Won-young, thank you so much."
— Nah! Master asked me to watch you, so I'm just obeying.
"Still... Ji-min behaved?"
— Ate her formula great. Fed and tucked her in like you asked.
"Thanks... Oh, got a pretty colleague to introduce later. Meet up?"
— Yay! You know I love pretty girls. Hehe.
U Mi-young had to meet Ji Won-young—for her daughter Ji-min. She wouldn't lose her again. Ever.
Three days since crossing the gate. U Mi-young met Han Areum again at a chic cafe.
Han Areum, in a floral dress and pink makeup, glowed. U Mi-young admired her beauty.
"You're stunning as ever, Areum."
"Sis is prettier—don't make me blush."
As U Mi-young sipped coffee, she noticed Han Areum's fingers fidgeting.
"Still anxious, Areum?"
"...Yeah. This is reality, but... terrified Park Woojin might show up at my door. Nightmares for three days straight."
"Me too lately."
U Mi-young sighed. The demon hunter Park Woojin terrified her. But thinking of him recalled whip-bound training scenes, wetting her between the legs.
"Sis, the White Mask Demon King can help, right? Can't we ask him? To deal with Park Woojin."
"That's why I called you. Made contact with the White Mask Demon King."
Han Areum's face lit up.
"Really?"
"You know Ji Won-young?"
"Yep~ Super pretty, her dramas smash ratings, famous S-rank hunter too."
"She's the White Mask Demon King's apostle."
Han Areum's eyes nearly popped.
"Oh my gosh oh my gosh."
"We said till two—let's go early and wait. Can't keep the Demon King hanging."
"Yes! Sis!"