◈ Episode 501. Contradiction (2)
My head was so tangled I could die, seriously……!!
“I shall respectfully ask your forgiveness, my dear. I failed to save this man’s life in Antonium. If only I had hurried a little more in preparing the ‘avatar body’……. This situation would never have occurred in the first place.”
The Demon King of the Ninth Throne, Paimon.
He was neither an ordinary demon nor an ordinary Demon King. He was a high-ranking Demon King born of the bizarre, a transcendent being who had swallowed not only the Demon World, but who knew how many worlds beyond that.
And yet.
“Oh dear, this was not my intention. The moment I faced you, my heart weakened after all. Since I am the one at a disadvantage, I suppose it cannot be helped. Furthermore, I shall offer this avatar body as well to this man’s homeland. I promise you.”……
Why is he being so deferential?‘No, beyond the fact that it’s burdensome.’Paimon, is that guy really a demon?‘He’s better than most humans.’It was enough to make such doubts arise.
Of course, he wasn’t just any demon, but a high-ranking Demon King.
Considering that the stronger a demon was, the more cunning it tended to be.
I couldn’t fully trust those words.
But had he sensed some strange mood in my silence?
“Ah, is that so?”
Swoosh.
Yong Seongrak.
No, Paimon raised the head he had bowed and lifted the corners of his mouth.
For some reason, that small smile seemed to contain many meanings.
“You cannot trust a demon’s words. I understand, my dear. Fundamentally, the emotion called trust does not exist among the race known as demons. However, I hope you will understand that not all demons are ignorant of ‘pride.’”
What, pride?‘How daaaare a demon speak of pride?!’You’re done for now, Paimon. Grandfell’s going to scold you.
Do you have any idea how strict Grandfell’s pride is?
A demon can talk about pride…….
Drip.‘……!’A sudden action.
When Paimon lightly clenched his fist, blood poured from his hand.
Was it the blood flowing from Yong Seongrak’s corpse?
While I flinched, Paimon added an explanation.
“You should know about avatar bodies by now.”
I should know, huh.
Still, I had gained some experience as a player by now.
I could roughly guess.‘It must have something to do with the Ten Thrones.’My prediction was correct.
“Merely revealing the power of the Ten Thrones shakes a world and even provokes beings from other worlds. Therefore, those of the Ten Thrones such as ourselves require avatar bodies through which we may act without revealing our true bodies.”
If it had been nonsense, I would have questioned him immediately. In any case, the fact that he had arbitrarily used Yong Seongrak’s corpse to create that thing called an avatar body remained unchanged.‘……
No, it makes sense.’But I ended up accepting it.
Because I had personally witnessed the terrifying power of a high-ranking Demon King.
Why, there was no need to look far. Even Paimon alone.‘It was power enough to swallow the Arcana Continent.’As for Baal, who had destroyed the Seorn Continent with a single arm.
There was nothing more to say.
That was why my mind could only be in chaos.
“With a mind like yours, surpassing brilliance and rivaling that of a sage, I believe you must have already understood the structure upon seeing my avatar body. If so, there is no need for me to add any further explanation.”
What is this, seriously?
As if he were trying to put me on a plane.
As if overestimating me wasn’t enough.
“And through this avatar body, I shall swear by my blood.”
You’re even making an oath I didn’t ask for……?
Wasn’t it a demon’s deception?
I couldn’t believe it either, so I continued to doubt him.
And yet, even through the senses of a demon hunter with [Natural Enemy Relationship] activated.
I could sense neither deception nor malice in Paimon’s words.
On top of that.[The Demon King of the Ninth Throne, Noble Paimon, is afflicted with the status abnormality, ‘Covenant.’ If the covenant is broken, the Demon King of the Ninth Throne, Noble Paimon, will die.]
Even the system, which did not lie, had officially confirmed it……!
If it had appeared only to me, I would have suspected that I had fallen into Paimon’s trickery without realizing it. But the murmuring around me made the situation clear.
“What are all these mosaics?”
“You got a message too? What does it say?! Is it the same as mine?”
“Yeah, it says a covenant has occurred. If he breaks it, someone dies……?”
Just as an ant cannot know what an elephant looks like, those who have not reached the level of the Ten Thrones cannot properly see the Ten Thrones. Players with the system are no exception.‘There was a time when all I could see was □, too.’Once it reached that point…….
I started to think it would only be natural to lower my guard by now. His attitude of honestly admitting his fault, his remorse, even his follow-up measures.‘It’s practically the textbook example of an apology.’The Paimon before my eyes.
Was so unbelievable as a demon that it was hard to accept.
However, I didn’t actually have the leisure to exchange words with Paimon.
“Lee Hoyeol.”
Because Rox called me.
I looked into Rox’s eyes.[Fall]
It must have been the effect of that.
His pupils were dyed black.
Was it thanks to that? Rox seemed to have witnessed it properly.
“So in the end, you were a hypocrite too.”
A hypocrite.
I could see how you might misunderstand.
Rox, you don’t know the story between me and Paimon. It must look strange that I’m silently listening to Paimon’s words, and that Paimon is bowing to me and even forming a covenant.
“So you were the same after all.”
But do you know, Rox?
Swooooosh.
The fluttering demon wings.
The malice surging from Rox.
At the same time, the negative energy concentrating toward Rox.
To me right now.
More than Paimon, a high-ranking Demon King.
You, a half-blood demon.
Even if half of you is human.
Look far more like a wicked demon.‘Will the exorcism ritual work?’Since it was not [Possession] but [Fall], I couldn’t be certain of its effect. No, before that, I was confused. This situation itself, facing Rox with Paimon, a real demon, before me.‘Come to think of it…….’Honestly, Rox was probably on the better side.
Those bastards who weren’t demons but were more vicious than demons?
There were too many to count on one hand.
However.
My worries did not last long.
Because the world before my eyes flickered.‘……
What is this?’*Twitch.
The blood vessels throughout his body twitched. His consciousness blurred, and his senses were amplified. Rox thought. Was this the power of [Hero] that I would newly obtain?‘So you finally acknowledged me, Arcana.’At this moment, the fact that I am flying freely through the sky is also the power of the Hero. The class quest has already judged me as the [Hero] and is providing me with its ability.……
Flutter.
However, all of it was Rox’s misconception.
Because what was coursing through Rox’s veins at this moment was the power of a half-blood. But Rox did not even have the leisure to check the system messages of Arcana, which never lied.[Your blood is growing increasingly turbid.][The status abnormality, ‘Confusion,’ has occurred.][The status abnormality, ‘Confusion,’ has occurred.]…….
“Lee Hoyeol.”
Shing.
Rox raised his beloved sword. His hand had also undergone a change. The right hand that held the sword had rapidly grown like a demon’s arm.
The influence of confusion.
However, Rox was looking in only one direction.
The quest objective.
And Hoyeol, who had formed a covenant with the quest objective, the “most vicious demon.”
Rox ground his teeth.
“From now on, I’m the one asking the questions.”
“I see.”
“My sword, the Hero’s sword, will move according to your answers.”
It was an unmistakable warning.
Lee Hoyeol.
There was not the slightest change in his expression.……
Grind.
That unwavering attitude grated on Rox’s nerves.
Because in that fleeting instant, it made him compare himself to Hoyeol.
How can you be like that, Lee Hoyeol?
An answer emerged from his muddied mind.
Yes.
So that was it.
“I finally understand the reason.”
“I will hear as much as you wish to say.”
“Don’t arrogantly rush me.”
Crunch. Rox’s hand gripping the sword swelled even further.
“It wasn’t that you had no blood or tears.”
“?”
“From the very beginning, you had no human heart.”
Swaaaash.
“You cannot understand the pain or sorrow of others!”
Rox charged toward Hoyeol.
He could hear someone urgently calling his name.
But he did not stop.
Lee Hoyeol, who had formed a covenant with the most vicious demon.
He, too, was an obstacle to completing the class quest objective.
Bang.
Along with the sound of the air bursting.
Rox’s sword strike was blocked in midair.
To be precise.
“Yes, the expression you maintain even in this situation is proof.”
Mana of an entirely different level.
Without even going through the process of exploration, interference, and manifestation.
Pure mana alone had blocked Rox’s full-powered sword strike.
“Rox, please……!!”
“What the hell? Has he gone crazy? What are you doing, Rox?!”
Camilla collapsed.
Leonie was flustered.
To Jesse, whose expression was stiff, the cone hat said.
—An overwhelming gap indeed.
He had blocked an attack with only the release of raw, unprocessed mana, without going through the magical process. Considering Chief Lee’s manifestation ability, which was unprecedented even in the Magic Tower.
—If it is Chief Lee, he could slaughter him with basic magic alone.
It meant there was no need even to mention low-rank magic.……
Bite.
That was why Jesse had no choice but to bite her lip hard.[Fall]
Rox, whose demonization had already progressed.
As stated before, Jesse knew.
Hoyeol’s lips slowly parting.
“I have understood the meaning contained in that sword strike.”
That Hoyeol’s mercy had never once shone upon demons.
“Heh heh heh.”
In such a situation, Paimon let out a laugh.
He had never thought he would witness such a scene.
It was worth bowing to you and sincerely apologizing.‘I cannot suppress my excitement.’Because I cannot wait for the day you enter the Demon World.
A Demon King of the Ten Thrones.
Having lived through eternity.
He could look into the future from the scenery he observed.
At this moment, what Paimon was watching was Hoyeol alone.
So it would not be bad to consider things from the same eye level as you.
From your position.‘If it is the you I know…….’As expected, you will not show even the slightest mercy.
Even if he is a half-blood demon.
Even if a human heart remains in him.
To you, a demon is nothing more than a demon.
“That is what excites me.”
The corners of Paimon’s mouth rose even higher.
Paimon sensed the negative emotions drifting through Seoul.
Indeed, this land was a piece of earth even more coveted than the Arcana Continent.
Because the sorrowful, pitiful, chaotic negative energy was spreading beyond this city and infecting the entire world in real time. Paimon looked up at the sky.
To be precise, he looked at the demonic eye floating in the sky.‘Baal.’If it is a world like this, I imagine you cannot help but covet it as well.
Just as you stretched your demonic hand toward the Seorn Continent.
However, unfortunately.‘I have no intention of withdrawing quietly as I did then.’Now that you are here, I am not alone.
Paimon’s melancholy gaze swept over Hoyeol.
My dear.
You do not know.
How greatly the experience of this moment will affect your future self.
“Even so, there is no need to worry.”
Paimon’s eyes sank into black.
“Because I will watch over everything.”
However, it did not take long.
For Paimon’s solemn resolve to become meaningless.
Because soon, he realized it.
Suddenly, a foreign sensation in his hand.
“……?”
At the unfamiliar sensation he had forgotten, Paimon opened his hand. Beads of sweat had formed on his open palm. It was not because the avatar body made from a human corpse could feel sensations.‘It’s hot……?’Because an avatar body was not made from some low-grade curse. That was right. It meant that even if Paimon’s true body had been here, the situation would not have changed.‘……
I am feeling heat?’It was the moment Paimon identified the cause of the sweat in his hand.
Hoyeol opened his mouth.
They were words that Hoyeol had not uttered in the future Paimon had foreseen.
“I see.”……
Could it be?
“Shining.”
Then came a merciful voice.
“You wished to become light, Rox.”
At the word light, Paimon’s face contorted....[There is a participant in your ‘Exorcism Ritual.’]
Exorcism Ritual.
Within my consciousness, trapped in contradiction.
What guided me was a flame.
A vivid green flame burning clearly.
Yes, those who must have suffered the same anguish as me.
No, those who must have experienced that anguish firsthand.
The seniors of Hell’s Akshan.[Class Quest: Are We Still Demons?]
Fwoosh!