Chapter 201
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 201
Chapter Title: The Demon Lord Baal
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With that message, the void twisted, and a rift tore open in the air.
A pair of red eyes gleamed from within the rift.
The demon Baal.
Master of Hell Mode.
If Rakandra had been a great demon, Baal was a lord of the demon realm on an entirely higher plane.
The true transcendent who had treated Rakandra like a mere horse.
That was Baal.
Is it you? The one who summoned me?
The voice echoed directly in Jeong Hoon's mind.
Transcendents could normally only spectate from afar, but the conditions had aligned, allowing this close approach.
At my current level, I can't take him on.
Before his regression, the transcendents Jeong Hoon had slain belonged to the apostle rank.
Not all transcendents were created equal.
At the top were the five named gods.
These beings could dictate the creation and destruction of worlds with a flick of a finger.
Entities no human could even dream of facing.
Supporting them were the 24 celestial lords, and beneath them, the 120 demon lords.
Baal was one such demon lord.
He stood above the 720 demon kings, who in turn commanded 12,000 apostles.
Even the me from before regression couldn't face him.
The Hell Mode condition wasn't to slay Baalit was to pass the trial he set.
No matter how exceptional a human might be, anything from demon king rank onward was untouchable.
Even apostles around level 1,000 were brutal if the matchup was poor, so how could anyone take down the demon kings who commanded them?
Before regression, he'd found a way to end the game.
It wasn't about slaying those damned transcendents.
"Yes."
Jeong Hoon steadied his trembling voice as best he could.
Ho, a human who dares to speak after laying eyes on me. How intriguing.
Baal's red pupils curved ever so slightly.
It must have been a noveltya human remaining composed in his presence.
"......"
Oh Jin-su, who had been tapping away at his keyboard, fainted dead away at Baal's appearance.
That was the normal reaction.
"Planning to kill me?"
Jeong Hoon asked Baal directly.
Baal's eyes slowly closed, then reopened.
And if I am?
The demon was intrigued by him.
Normally, he would have struck without hesitation, but the unfamiliar thrill of conversing with a human proved too captivating.
Yet if that interest waned here, death by Baal's hand would follow.
Can't let that happen.
Jeong Hoon had already accounted for Baal's appearance in his calculations.
Which was why he now pulled out his prepared line.
"Let me propose a wager."
Intriguing. A human proposing a bet to me.
Curiosity flickered in those red eyes.
Baal. Word is he loves wagers and deals.
Lord of the demon realm.
In his eternal boredom, he'd begun making bets and trades to pass the time.
He relished the slow ensnarement of his opponents, the pleasure enough to stir even him.
He'd strike deals with humans struggling in dungeons and claim their souls.
To demons, human souls were like the ripest, most delectable fruit.
"I'll clear the dungeon that's about to spawnthe one where you'll take up residence."
Ho?
Baal's red eyes curved into crescent moons.
Jeong Hoon's proposal had thoroughly captivated him.
"But I'd like you to lower the mode."
And why would I do that?
Clearing the dungeon preserved Jeong Hoon's life.
The mode adjustment was a separate matter entirely.
Jeong Hoon smirked and threw out the bait.
"What, afraid you'll lose the bet if you lower it?"
Hm?
"The condition is clearing the dungeon you designate, right? So I should get some handicap too. Dropping Hell Mode two steps to Hard should make it balanced."
It was pure sophistry, but Baal appeared to mull it over.
The human was simply too intriguing to kill on the spot.
Hm, very well. But I'll drop it only to Very Hard.
In the end, Baal conceded to Jeong Hoon's demand.
Very Hard Modeone step down from Hell.
It was sufficient, but Jeong Hoon refused to take it at face value.
"Hard Mode. You agreed to two steps down, so make it twonot one."
Jeong Hoon had clearly asked for two steps.
Seizing on that technicality, he watched Baal's eyes twitch faintly.
Heh.
"You've got to listen properly, right?"
Jeong Hoon smirked.
...Fine. But if you fail to clear it, I'll bind your soul in hell and make you my eternal slave.
"Call."
The wager was sealed.
Demon Baal uses 'Devil's Deal.'
Please confirm the deal contents.
A holographic document materialized before Jeong Hoon's eyes.
It recorded their entire conversation, word for word, without a single deviation.
That's a lot of text.
Jeong Hoon quickly summarized the key points.
Devil's Deal
-I, Baal, enter a wager with the human.
If the human clears my dungeon, I will spare their life.
I will also fully grant all clear rewards.
However, if they fail, the human's soul becomes my property.
That covered the essentials.
Press your palm to the document.
"Got to check it thoroughly."
Jeong Hoon double- and triple-checked for any tricks.
Do you think a lord like me would stoop to such petty cheats?
"...Looks solid."
Only after confirming no issues did Jeong Hoon press his palm to the document.
It glowed brightly before transferring to his inventory.
Baal must have received an identical copy.
Then we'll meet again at spawn time.
Lv.??? Demon Baal departs.
With that message, the rift sealed shut.
Penalty dungeon difficulty set to 'Hard' Mode.
The displayed difficulty had indeed changed from 'Hell' to 'Hard.'
A demon lord showing up here.
Anima knew of him.
Though now dwelling in a weapon, she had once been an ancient dragon, reigning at the pinnacle of dragonkind.
She couldn't possibly be ignorant of Baal.
That mangy dog bastard.
Mukho seemed to know Baal as well.
"You know who that guy is?"
How could I not? Siegfried got offed by that prick.
"...What?"
Jeong Hoon's eyes widened.
Lv. 800.
The inaugural All Master and Magic Tower Lord, Siegfried.
To think even he had fallen to Baal.
It was news to Jeong Hoon.
Lost a bet...
"What kind of bet?"
...No idea. That bastard Baal wiped most of my memories. All I know is Siegfried lost.
"I see."
It didn't quite add up.
Siegfried was a figure from the past, wasn't he?
How had he even made contact with Baal?
Anyway... you can't back out of the bet, right?
Mukho's voice trembled with fear.
The dread that Jeong Hoon might suffer Siegfried's fate.
"No."
The water was already spilled.
Even if withdrawal were possible, Jeong Hoon would refuse.
Need to erase this penalty as much as possible.
People still needed time to adjust, and this penalty alone wouldn't end in mere disaster.
The more penalties stacked, the faster doom accelerated.
Earth had once teetered on the brink of annihilation because of it, with 80 of the global population wiped out.
He had to prevent that future at all costs.
One week.
Earth was remarkably peaceful.
Dungeons spawned in droves, but unlike before, no monsters ravaged the surface.
People adapted with impressive speed.
Countermeasures for New World manifestation now top priority
Officials announce: Leveling up boosts survival odds
Even the government urged citizens to level up, and former non-gamers began hunting monsters to gain strength.
Shinwa hasn't made a move yet.
Jeong Hoon remained vigilant for ambushes, but none came.
Still, there was a gain.
He'd spotted signs confirming they would strike.
Lee Hwarang has joined Shinwa.
Word of Lee Hwarang's recruitment.
Straight from Yeo Min-ji, who had Shinwa under constant watchreliable intel.
High chance he's contracted.
Even before regression, the man had bound himself to a transcendent.
Obsessed with power, he'd inflicted harm on countless others.
The option of refusing a contract never crossed Jeong Hoon's mind.
If he's contracted, he'll sabotage this dungeon.
A dungeon owned by Baal.
Amusingly, it wasn't just oneBaal's dungeons would spawn across the world.
Any nation could delete Earth's penalty by passing his trial within the time limit.
Jeong Hoon predicted Sa Jae-hyeok would show up in one.
Transcendent contracts came with dedicated quests.
The rewards were beyond imagination, fueling explosive growth.
But those quests weren't geared toward clearing penaltiesthey were designed to obstruct them.
Incarnations under transcendent contracts had driven clear rates to zero.
Irregular dungeon generates.
One week.
168 hours elapsed, and the penalty dungeon spawned.
A new message appeared before Jeong Hoon.
Due to Devil's Deal, dungeon locations are revealed.
Dungeon locations exposed.
A world map unfurled before his eyes, marked with countless red dots across every continent.
Baal's voice echoed in his mind.
Time's up.
The deal enabled communication now that the moment had arrived.
Jeong Hoon smirked.
"Yeah."
Pick any entrance. They'll all lead straight to me.
"Guess the closest one works."
I'm waiting. If you're late, your soul is mine.
Baal's voice cut off.
Guide of the Fallen Star says they will grant a quest.
The quest arrived.
Sa Jae-hyeok opened his quest window as if he'd been waiting.
Incarnation Quest: Enter Irregular Dungeon
-Restriction: Incarnations contracted with Upper Apostle-rank or higher transcendent
-Reward: 25,000,000 EXP Eligibility for next quest
-Description: Enter the irregular dungeon to undertake the next quest.
The task was simply to enter the irregular dungeon.
Jackpot. 25 million EXP just for stepping in.
Gathering 25 million EXP in New World meant weeks of nonstop hunting at minimum.
And here it was handed out for a single entry.
Revenge against that bastard might not be impossible after all.
Sa Jae-hyeok had contracted with the Guide of the Fallen Star inside one of the simultaneous dungeons.
Break the surrounding jewels, then hit the emerging demon with Frozen Ures Curse to paralyze it before finishing it offeasy clear.
The strategy had spread via a YouTuber named Kwultube, so plenty had tried it, Sa Jae-hyeok included.
A transcendent had approached during the process. He'd meant to refuse at first, but the promise of immense power changed his mind, and he'd signed on.
"Please share the irregular dungeon's location."
Sa Jae-hyeok made the request with utmost deference.
A map promptly appeared before him.
Guide of the Fallen Star shares the nearest dungeon location.
It was quite close.
Sa Jae-hyeok lit up with delight.
"Thank you. Heading in now."