Chapter 90

"..."

"..."

WHOOOSH

A dispiriting breeze swept past.

What Im Dogyun had discovered was a totem erected by the demons. Esil immediately recognized its meaning.

"This is something like a signpost demons use."

"Did they put it here so they wouldn't get lost in this jungle?"

"Looks like it. And their hideout is bound to be at the end of the trail."

"W-wait. Guys? I mean, Guildmaster?"

Listening to Esil and Suho beside them, Im Dogyun was growing steadily paler.

"You're not seriously planning to go there now, are you?"

Only moments ago, the demons' sudden intrusion had resulted in a horrific massacre. Now the two sounded ready to walk straight into the demons' den, and to Im Dogyun, their conversation sounded like a death sentence.

"Oh, it might be a little dangerous for you. Want to stay inside my shadow for a bit?"

"Huh? Wait. You said going in there would be bad for my health!"

[That was a joke too. Continuing to follow us would be worse for your health.]

"Eek..."

At Beru's words, Im Dogyun went stiff as a living corpse.

"Go on, stay inside for a bit. This won't take long."

Suho chuckled and took out the Key to the Shadow Dungeon.

CLICK

[Entering the Shadow Dungeon.]

"Whaaat?!"

Of course, Im Dogyun was the only one entering. Suho's shadow suddenly surged up like a curtain and swallowed him. Suho reassured the flustered man.

"Don't worry so much. It's a place people live in too."

"W-wait...!"

WHOOOOSH!

At that moment, Im Dogyun's vision went pitch-black. When he opened his eyes again, before him stood...

[Grr? And what are you?]

The enormous crocodile humanoid Ammut was looking down at Im Dogyun with interest.

"Hic..."

Looking as though he were about to lose his mind, Im Dogyun sank to the floor. But that pathetic, feeble appearance was exactly to Ammut's taste.

[Heh heh. Are you the human guild member my disciple mentioned? You remind me of Tarnak as a child.]

The corners of the giant crocodile's mouth lifted into a knowing smile. In a voice more demonic than a demon's, he whispered coaxingly to Im Dogyun.

[Feeble human, would you perhaps like to grow stronger than you are now?]

"No."

[... Hmm?]

Im Dogyun had suddenly become resolute.

He walked to a corner of the pyramid and quietly crouched down.

"I'll just stay here and keep quiet."

[...]

A dumbfounded look came over Ammut's face.

* * *

After sending Im Dogyun away, Suho and Esil immediately set out in search of the factory, following the demons' trail of totems. They encountered a few demons along the way, but those were hardly a problem now. With his new Demon Slayer title, lesser demons were no longer any match for Suho.

Esil stopped short.

"... Something's wrong."

Having discovered another totem, she looked around with a grim expression.

"What is it?"

"This totem isn't a signpost pointing the way. The trail stops here."

"The trail ends? Hmm."

At that, Suho extended his senses to search for any presence nearby. But he couldn't sense any demons or magic beasts anywhere.

'No, there's not even a breeze.'

The quiet, stagnant air created an eerie atmosphere. Demons did lurk here, after all, so anything could happen anywhere.

[Young Monarch.]

[Master.]

Beru and Quay called to Suho at the same time. They pointed beneath his feet.

[I sense a dimensional rift directly below us.]

"There's a Gate?"

[Yes. That appears to be the case, Master.]

Suho looked down.

"Beru, find a way underground."

[Yes, sir.]

Beru flew off the instant the words left Suho's mouth.

Rather than move, however, Quay calmly surveyed their surroundings with a cool gaze.

[Master, if the demons' tracks disappear here, they may have hidden the entrance with some kind of sorcery or skill.]

"That's a good point."

Suho nodded and raised his twin swords.

"In that case..."

[Using 'Skill: Storm Slash.']

KABOOOOM!

"If I smash everything, something's bound to turn up."

With the last totem they had found at the center, Suho indiscriminately unleashed sword aura into the empty space around it. An astonishing sight soon unfolded.

CRACK! CRACKLE!

"...!"

The ground and sky split apart in branching fissures as a dimensional rift began to form before their eyes.

Esil's eyes widened in shock.

"This energy... Don't tell me!"

Astonishingly, the energy spilling out from beyond the rift was all too familiar to her.

"It's a Gate connected to the Demon Realm!"

"The Demon Realm? The dimension you used to live in?"

"That's right! This Gate must lead to the dimension I escaped from!"

"Now I get it."

Suho nodded. Pyeongtaek Dungeon Three had been designated a mere D-rank dungeon because the magic beasts appearing here were neither particularly strong nor numerous. But it turned out that what had emerged from this Gate weren't magic beasts at all. They were demons.

'Since demons are intelligent, did they hide quietly to build up their strength instead of attacking humans on sight?'

They had even released magic beasts of a suitable strength and created a jungle that was difficult to navigate, keeping humans from approaching.

"Looks like we found their main base while looking for a factory."

"Remember what I told you? Worlds that lose in the War of the Monarchs are torn into pieces and left drifting through the gaps between dimensions. What lies beyond here must be a fragment of the ruined Demon Realm."

"Ruined?"

"Yes. The demon nobles who ruled the Demon Realm are all dead, so the only ones left there would be small fry who hid to escape the war."

"And those demons grew stronger by drinking a demon noble's blood?"

"Probably? They must be trying to increase their strength and become new demon nobles."

"What's so good about becoming a demon noble?"

"Well..."

Esil was just about to answer Suho's question.

WHOOOOOSH!

An immense suction suddenly arose from within the Gate exposed by Suho's indiscriminate attack. Strangely, however, it pulled only at Esil, not Suho.

"Aah!"

Lifted helplessly into the air, Esil flailed in panic, and Suho seized her hand. With his hand holding hers, the suction from the Gate lifted Suho off the ground as well.

[Young Monarch!]

[Master! It's dangerous!]

Beru and Quay hurriedly grabbed Suho from behind.

Still clutching Suho's hand, Esil shouted.

"It looks like the Demon Realm is trying to drag me in by force! This happened before too!"

A world that had lost its Monarch was bound to seek a new one. The moment the Demon Realm detected the energy of Esil Radir, the only demon noble still alive, it began trying to suck her in by force.

"Is that how it is?"

Understanding the situation, Suho showed no panic. Instead, a knowing smile spread across his face.

"Then let's gladly oblige!"

Holding Esil's hand, Suho willingly let himself be sucked into the Gate.

WHOOOOSH!

The ruined Demon Realm...

'I hope there are plenty of demons.'

This was an excellent opportunity to strengthen Vulcan's Horn.

But the moment he passed through the Gate, the scene before his eyes changed completely.

"... Huh?"

Landing on the ground, Suho blinked and stared ahead.

A vast, imposing mine. Countless demons moved about within it, their ankles shackled as they worked with pickaxes.

"What's this?"

"Good question."

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The loud clanging of pickaxes rang out everywhere. Even Esil was bewildered by the scene, something they could never have imagined outside the Gate.

CRACK!

"Aaagh!"

Just then, the chilling crack of a whip and a scream came from far away.

"You lazy bastards! Stop trying to slack off and work! Work!"

"Urgh! Gah! I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

An enormous demon who appeared to be an overseer was brutally trampling the enslaved demons. They screamed in pain under mana-infused lashes, but somehow forced themselves to their feet and began pulling their carts to avoid further beatings.

Without either needing to prompt the other, Suho and Esil hid behind a pillar of rock, out of the overseer's sight.

"A labor camp?"

"... Something's wrong."

Esil's expression turned grave.

"How can they be this organized without a demon noble?"

"What would it normally be like?"

"In the Demon Realm, strength rules absolutely. The strong prey on the weak. But that can change at any time. We grow stronger by devouring each other."

"By drinking blood?"

"Right. No matter how strong someone is, if you devour them by whatever means necessary, even an ambush, you grow stronger. That's why, without an overwhelmingly powerful demon noble to impose order, demons descend into utter chaos."

A hell of devouring and being devoured. That was the true nature of the Demon Realm. Yet didn't this scene look as though a hierarchy still existed?

"A system like this is only possible if a demon noble reigns over this place. But I'm the only noble who survived."

"That is strange."

Suho also felt that something was off.

If all the demons currently swinging pickaxes like slaves joined forces, they could easily kill and devour an overseer like that. Yet the slaves' eyes were already filled with nothing but profound defeat and fear.

"Moooo!"

Just then, a giant bull monster passed in front of Suho and Esil, pulling an enormous cart piled high with ore.

[Domesticated Minotaur]

'A minotaur?'

True to the word "domesticated" preceding its name, the giant bull monster had thick iron chains shackled around its neck and legs. It even wore a saddle on its back for someone to sit comfortably.

But the minotaur wasn't the only animal pulling a cart. Various magic beasts, including bizarre creatures resembling giant horses, were transporting ore, fitted with chains, shackles, and ore carts.

"... Huh? That one!"

Esil's eyes widened as she spotted a sleek-looking horse among them.

"You know it?"

"That's my attendant."