A/N:- Need reviews.
Thanks to Sol's unintentional antics, the atmosphere among the group brightened considerably. Of course, the person in question turned red-faced and teary-eyed, but what could be done? It was funny, after all. Feeling a bit more refreshed, the group was able to enjoy a pleasant break.
I wanted to rest too, but that plan was quickly scrapped when Sol, still crying, ran toward me and clung to me.
With that, we left the fallen Spirit Knight behind and resumed our exploration.
The rest of the second floor was an undead paradise. Every time we opened a door, reanimated experimental subjects from the laboratory would lunge at us. Each time that happened, Vivienne's eyes blazed with fury. Honestly, from my perspective, what she had done and what the researchers here had done were pretty much the same, so I couldn't quite understand why she was so angry.
Moving clockwise, we reached the second door, the north gate. When we opened it, we found nothing but an empty room. I had expected a staircase leading up to the third floor, but I was proven wrong. Since we had already taken a good enough break in the room where the Spirit Knight had been—while also consoling the sobbing Sol—we immediately made our way to the last door on this floor, the east gate.
And as soon as we opened it, we were greeted by none other than a mummy.
A mummy, on its own, wasn't exactly a difficult monster to deal with, but this one had regenerative abilities. Every time An-Hyun and Yun-Jung struck it, its bandages would tear, only to regenerate almost instantly, continuously threatening them. The bandages I cut didn't seem to regenerate, but soon, new ones would sprout from within, putting us in a troublesome situation.
In the end, there was only one solution. I raised my left hand, the one wearing the ring.
"Anti-Magic."
A white light erupted from the ring on my finger. Seizing the opportunity, Jung Ha-Yeong cast her specialty, an advanced spell.
"Target: Mummy. Overlap."
Before long, the white light extending from my left hand seeped into the bandages wrapping the mummy. As the light engulfed them, they rapidly faded in color.
It seemed that Ha-Yeong hadn't learned high-level spells like Dispel, but that was the beauty of applied magic—it could compensate when the right situation arose. Soon, Yun-Jung's dagger sliced through the mummy's loosened bandages, and a pained scream echoed from the creature.
Not to be outdone, An-Hyun lunged forward, driving his spear deep into the mummy's abdomen. Seizing the chance to finish it off, I swung my sword in a sharp arc, severing its neck. With one last horrifying shriek, the mummy collapsed into a heap.
I quickly grabbed the collars of my approaching teammates and yanked them backward, pulling them away from the fallen creature.
Boom!
They struggled for a moment, but as soon as the mummy's body exploded, releasing a putrid stench, they shut their mouths. A few of them shuddered—it was clear that if they had gotten too close, they would have been doused in that toxic liquid.
Once I confirmed that the mummy had been reduced to nothing more than a pile of tattered rags, I finally let them go.
"Good work, everyone. Ha-Yeong, your magic application was truly impressive."
"Compared to the frontline, risking their lives, it's just a small trick. Don't flatter me too much."
She responded humbly, but I could tell from the faint smile on her lips that she didn't mind the praise.
Nearby, Vivienne pouted, and even An-Sol, with her swollen, tear-filled eyes, mimicked the expression. Still, neither of them said anything. After all, they had witnessed Ha-Yeong and Shin Sang-Yong's capabilities firsthand. Ever since the two mages had joined the caravan, Ha-Yeong's contributions, especially on the second floor, were nearly on par with Vivienne's.
Inside the east-wing room, we found a staircase leading to the third floor. As I stared at it, Shin Sang-Yong approached me and spoke.
"Leader, are we heading straight to the third floor?"
"That's the plan. How's everyone holding up?"
I turned to my teammates, who each signaled their readiness with their own unique gestures. However, An-Hyun kept glancing back with a lingering expression, as if something was still on his mind.
"An-Hyun."
"Ah, yes, hyung. I'm fine."
He flinched when I called his name, then quickly nodded. I had a pretty good idea of what he was thinking, so I simply shook my head with a small sigh.
"Even if we didn't get any valuable loot on the second floor, don't be too disappointed. What we've already collected so far is beyond amazing."
"Yeah… but hyung, do you think I could use the items that Spirit Knight had?"
"No. It's better to leave them alone."
I was just about to say, 'Hmm, should we take them then?' when Vivienne beat me to it. As An-Hyun turned his gaze toward her, she shook her head, mirroring my reaction, and continued.
"Those aren't just regular undead weapons… They've been used by a lingering soul for who knows how long. If ordinary humans try to wield them, it could end up doing more harm than good. A weapon meant to protect its user could just as easily turn on you."
"Hmm… Master, what if we purify them?"
"Idiot. Those weapons are imbued with dark energy—do you really think they'd survive the purification process? And besides, they're old and worn out. They don't even look that durable anymore."
"Ah, I see… As expected of Master!"
She made a solid point, so I nodded in agreement. An-Hyun, who was still reluctant despite her logical explanation, let out a sigh when he saw me back her up.
"We still have the third floor ahead of us. Let's stay focused and push forward."
I silently vowed that if we ever found the Qi Spearmaster, I would make sure to give it to An-Hyun.
With that thought in mind, I turned and stepped toward the staircase leading to the third floor. The rest of the party quietly followed, and one by one, we began our ascent.
*
As we pushed open the door to the third floor, our eyes were met with a single vast space.
Despite the passage of countless years, the room still preserved the horrors of its past, as if desperate to tell its story. If I had to put it into words—ashes. The entire place was nothing but ashes.
Has a war been fought here? The scattered debris, charred bones of who knows of whom, and rusted fragments lying around suggested a battle of some sort. The group stood in stunned silence, taking in the desolate scene.
But the reason I was speechless was different.
The third floor was eerily silent, but soon, the faint rustling of movement broke the stillness. A lone figure slowly rose to its feet, and at the same time, the chair it had been sitting on crumbled to dust beneath it.
"Well, well… It's been a long time since I've seen humans."
The figure turned toward us, revealing its face.
Dark, bluish skin. Horns protruding from its forehead. Large, bat-like wings unfurling behind its back.
A demon.
At the sight of the demon, my companions flinched instinctively. No one had expected to encounter one this soon.
Neither had I.
I knew I would run into a demon eventually—but never in my wildest dreams had I imagined I would meet him here.
"Humans after so long, yet you say nothing. Ugh, how annoying."
There was no doubt. It was him.
That arrogant face, those condescending eyes. That speech pattern, ending so often with 'How annoying.'
How long had I wanted to see him again?
How many things had I wished to do to him—say to him?
The thoughts I had buried deep within me, the desires I had locked away since my return, began to stir.
Slowly, they crept through my entire being, rising to the surface.
I rubbed my eyes once and stared at him again.
This was real.
I almost wanted to pinch my cheek just to confirm it, but there was no need—I could feel it. My chest swelled with emotion as I gripped my sword. The weight of the hilt felt more reassuring than ever.
"Why so silent? Say something. It's been so long since I've seen humans…"
"S-Su-Hyeon…"
"Hyung…"
My heart pounded violently.
The blood coursing through my veins surged with heat, roaring like a wildfire.
For so long, I had been living among my companions, feeling a part of something new—but now, the old me was awakening.
I let out a ragged breath and spoke, my voice trembling with something between rage and exhilaration.
"It's… heh… good to see you again."
"Hmph. How disgraceful. I told you to speak, yes, but shouldn't you kneel first? Show some respect, you inferior being."
Crazy bastard.
"I am Belphegor, a noble demon with the rank of Count in the Demon Realm. I will say it again—kneel."
"Ugh. Shut up already. A Count, huh…? What a pain in the ass."
Vivienne frowned and muttered under her breath.
Belphegor, the Demon of Sloth.
He was classified as a high-ranking demon. Not quite at the pinnacle, but strong enough to one day reach the top. His power was formidable—relatively speaking.
"Now that you understand, watch your words and actions from here on. Hmph… Even for a Demon of Sloth, being trapped in this place for centuries was insufferable. But since I finally get to see humans again, I shall grant you a rare mercy—just this once."
At his words, my companions all wore uneasy expressions.
I hate demons.
No beings are more arrogant, more deceitful, more untrustworthy than them.
They stop at nothing to satisfy their twisted desires, using whatever cowardly tricks they can.
And because of their schemes…
I lost someone precious to me.
And Belphegor…
"Shut the hell up. I'm going to kill you, you fucking bastard."
…was the one who set that tragedy into motion.
The moment I saw him here, one of the nagging questions I had carried all this time suddenly unraveled.
Belphegor being in this ruined laboratory was surprising in itself, and I still didn't know how it came to be. But at least now, I was beginning to understand how a certain event from my first life played out.
And that thought made my blood boil all over again.
I smirked, raising my sword.
I could feel several gazes turning toward me, some confused, some alarmed.
But I didn't care.
The only thing that mattered right now—was beating and killing this bastard into the dirt.
Even though I had surpassed the skills of my past self, there was no guarantee of victory.
After all, Belphegor was still a high-ranking demon.
But I wasn't afraid.
If anything… I felt exhilarated.
Belphegor watched me with an amused smile before speaking in a polite yet condescending tone.
"Humans are always so entertaining. Heh. I've decided—I shall make you my chair."
"So that's your final words, huh?"
"Tsk. Even for a bug, you're irritating. I've indulged your antics long enough. However, I am feeling merciful today. You mortals will perish soon enough, but if you apologize right now, I'll grant you a painless death."
His grin widened.
"Well, one of you, at least. The other man can join you. But you—you shall serve as my throne for eternity."
I scoffed. "Oh? And what about the women?"
Belphegor smirked as if I had asked the most obvious question.
"Hah. Do you even need to ask? Naturally, they will serve me. Those pathetic humans who once inhabited this wretched place sealed me inside, rendering me unable to leave."
His wings twitched in irritation.
"It was dreadfully dull. But now, at long last, some decent human women have arrived. A rare treat. They all appear to be of excellent quality—yes, I am quite pleased."
At Belphegor's words, my companions' faces twisted in disgust—especially the women.
I glanced at them before turning back to him with a mocking smirk.
"They don't seem all that eager to serve you."
"That's just ignorance on their part." He chuckled. "But don't worry—I am more than capable of educating them. My tool is long and thick enough to bring them satisfaction. Human women should consider it the highest honor to serve Belphegor, the esteemed Demon Count of the Abyss."
"You're insane."
"Tsk, I warned you to mind your tongue. You truly don't wish to live—even as a chair?" He sighed dramatically. "Fine. If you kneel and beg for mercy now, I may reconsider."
"I've heard enough." I turned to my party. "Prepare for battle."
Without hesitation, my comrades drew their weapons.
Belphegor's smug gaze swept over us before he exhaled in boredom.
"Tsk. Humans always insist on struggling before learning their place… how tiresome."
The moment he finished speaking, dark blue flames erupted around his body.
Demonfire.
A type of flame unique to demons.
It wasn't as powerful as Hellfire, but it was still leagues above normal flames.
...Not that it mattered.
Because today, I was going to burn him to the ground.
"Heh, when I was first summoned here, things were looking good. But they didn't have enough sacrifices. Instead, they offered me their pathetic, half-baked creations…."
"So you weren't fully summoned." I smirked. "Even better. That means it'll be that much easier to crush you."
Belphegor's eyes gleamed with interest.
"Kukuku… You're sharp, human. Yes, the power I have in this form isn't even seventy percent of my true strength. You seem to know your stuff."
Then he paused and snapped his fingers.
With a sharp whoosh, the dark flames surrounding him surged forward, roaring straight toward me.
Belphegor grinned wickedly as he finished his sentence.
"But you talk too much. I've had enough of you. Burn to ash before the hellfire of a great demon! Scream in agony, human! Hahahaha!"
The inferno surged toward me with terrifying force, but I simply exhaled, awakening the power of Hwajung.
Heat flared up from within me, engulfing my entire body in a scorching aura.
I calmly raised my sword above my head.
And at that moment, I caught sight of Belphegor's expression—
A grin.
A deep, knowing grin.
He's enjoying this.
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