163. A Piece of Time and s.p.a.ce
-snap.
In an instant, my surroundings changed.
Only now did I see what I had originally thought the celestial plane would have looked like.
An endless waterfall of various colors flowed, and I heard a beautiful melody that seemed familiar somehow, as if I had heard of it at least once before.
It was a beautiful and peaceful scenery, fitting of a place called the celestial plane.
To me, however, this scenery had such a contrast that it was enough to make me sick.
It was because I remembered how this G.o.d had merely watched and spectated the violence in amus.e.m.e.nt just until now.
Including me, the radical faction, the Chimera, and other monsters as well, they were all creations of this G.o.d.
This G.o.d was feeling thrilled at the sight of the creatures that she created spilling blood amongst each other.
I didn"t stay on this thought too long, however.
The G.o.d pointed at a small door that led back out towards the demonic realm.
"Now, if you leave through there, Barub, who had guided you here, will be waiting for you."
"What about the ability of a Piece of Time and s.p.a.ce……"
"When you are guided back by Barub through s.p.a.ce and time and back to the demonic realm, the time that had stopped will flow once more, and you will obtain the ability automatically, so don"t worry."
"Then I"ll be taking my leave….."
"Hehe. Did I make a human with a personality like this? Well, since you"re not predictable like the rest, it"s pretty amusing."
"……"
Not even pretending to listen to what this G.o.d said, I walked towards the door.
The sound of my t.i.tan Boots against the smooth floor as I walked was music to my ears.
As I opened the battered door, I could see the pure white tunnel.
How could such a simple pa.s.sageway be such a welcoming sight?
I did boast that I would be able to meet the Guide Through Time and s.p.a.ce Barub once more, but I was feeling pretty down after hearing that no one had pa.s.sed this test before.
Just considering the results alone, I had pa.s.sed the test proudly and had come back to this path with the power of a Piece of Time and s.p.a.ce.
To be honest, I felt proud of myself.
Just like that, I was about to step into the crack in time and s.p.a.ce.
"Wait!"
"Is there something left?"
"……"
"If that"s not the case……"
"I don"t think I"ve ever offered this to anyone."
"What do you mean?"
"It means that I"ve never been so interested in a human"s strength before."
"I"m not sure what you mean by that."
"It means that I want you at my side. You can obtain a lot of power here while you stay as well."
"If that"s your offer, I decline."
"The power of the Piece of Time and s.p.a.ce? Even though the power I offer is far greater than that, you aren"t interested?"
"If I could take that power and walk out of this celestial plane, then I"d accept gladly. However, if that"s not the case, then I decline."
"As expected."
"For a G.o.d such as yourself, it shouldn"t be that difficult for you to make someone like me submit though?"
"Hehe! That"s true, but….. Eh. There"s no reason for me to explain the complicated intricacies of the world of the G.o.ds. I won"t stop you. Hurry up and go."
"What a boring G.o.d. Then….."
"Yo! It"s been awhile."
"Human….. Did you really do it?"
"As I said, you"ll be seeing me again."
"I congratulate you. Through the many years, I have guided countless across to the celestial plane, but this is the first time that I"ve guided someone back from the celestial plan to their original dimension. It is my pleasure to guide you back."
"Thanks."
I continued to follow Barub down the pitch black road.
A while pa.s.sed just like that, and I was able to see the demonic realm that had turned red due to the Chimera"s...o...b...
Was it because I had obtained a ma.s.sive amount of power?
I was already moving faster than Barub, almost nearing a run.
Just a bit more.
The moment that Barub finished guiding me, time in the demonic realm and on Earth would flow once more.
"Now. We"ve arrived."
"Wew…… So if I take one more step forward, time will start flowing again?"
"That"s right."
"Good. Thank you for guiding me."
"Don"t mention it, since it is the duty I am charged with."
"Let"s meet again, Guide Through Time and s.p.a.ce, Barub."
"We shall soon."
"……"
With a mysterious answer, Barub grew distant and eventually out of my sight.
As Barub"s guidance came to an end, my vision went to black once more.
It was the same as when I had first swallowed the Piece of Time and s.p.a.ce.
It didn"t take long before I arrived at Ifrit"s castle and saw my body that collapsed on the ground.
Also came into view were Jong Ho and Karin, who were both guarding me.
"I guess it"s time that my soul returned back to its home."
Almost as if diving back into my body, I dug into myself.
Only then did I feel my body once more, as if waking from a long slumber.
Not only that, but I felt suffocated as if my chest was being pressed down by something heavy.
Taking in a deep breath, I opened my eyes.
"Kehruruk?"
"Mi….. Min-Cheol……"
"Hm?"
"Whew…… Now I feel like I"m alive again."
"Hey, you idiot! Why didn"t you eat it slower. So you"ve woken back up after choking on it?"
"Hm?"
"Kerururu. Even I thought that the Piece of Time and s.p.a.ce was too big to swallow."
"Hurry up and digest it! If we leave it as it is, we could end up with nothing happening."
"If you eat steak, you can digest faster. Min-Cheol, should I cook up some steaks?"
"Ah….. I feel sad again."
This was the same situation as when I had finished my fight with the demon G.o.d Ifrit before.
Only did time pa.s.s for me and me alone.
Jong Ho and Karin must be thinking that I had merely taken a quick nap.
I was positive that they had no idea that I had pa.s.sed the three tests that the G.o.d gave me.
Even so, I was somewhat happy that time had stopped till now.
It was because I was worried that the Demon King would try chasing us down in the meantime, and that I could not use Full Heal on the summoned creatures guarding the Gate.
The situation was looking great.
For them, only a short time would"ve pa.s.sed, but I had obtained an inexplicably powerful strength during that time.
I had also been using mana with only basic methods, but now learned how to use it effectively in the process of pa.s.sing the tests, almost as if catching a rat while stepping backwards. 1
Even the Demon King and Ladin wouldn"t be able to face against me now.
Not only that, but I would be able to defeat Belkoseu, who had been nothing but a headache.
Due to having the Authority that granted him immortality, I wouldn"t be able to take his life, but I had the healing negation effect thanks to the Piece of Time and s.p.a.ce.
If I bring him near death and stop there?
He would live in the demonic realm forever in a state where he would be barely alive, unable to do anything similar to a corpse.
Looking at Jong Ho and Karin who were both making fun of me, I spoke.
"It"s the same with the time when I defeated Ifrit! This is unfair!"
"Huh?"
"Kel?"
"By that, you mean…. Did you already go? No way, right?"
"Nope, there"s no way. You"re so right."
Since they couldn"t believe me, I pulled out the last remaining King"s Marbles and showed it to them.
Before I swallowed the Piece of Time and s.p.a.ce, I had 11 marbles.
I gave 6 to Jong Ho and kept 5 for myself.
However, in the timespan that I had closed and opened my eyes in their point of view, only one marble was left.
"Really?"
To Jong Ho"s question that he asked with wide eyes, I merely nodded.
Only then did I see relief in his expression.
I could also sense that he felt sorry and pity for me.
"Now, we need not run, even if our opponents are the Demon King or Ladin."
"Good work."
"And we need not worry about Belkoseu either."
"What? What do you mean by that!"
At my words, Belkoseu let out his anger with a disgusted look.
Despite Belkoseu being next to me, I had spoken without a care for that fact.
The shaky alliance that we had kept up was no longer useful. It was time to end it.
To be more precise, the alliance was no longer beneficial for me.
The plan to help him grow stronger so that he could defeat the Demon King had become outdated.
Staring down Belkoseu, I spoke.
"Did you not hear?"
"Have you forgotten! Without my help, you cannot defeat the Demon King!"
"Ah. That was true 5 minutes ago."
"What?"
"With how outdated your intel is, how can you be of any use?"
"You little….. You had planned to betray me….."
"Isn"t it the same with you? This was an alliance that could not be held from the start. But you knew that as well, right?"
"……"
"I was just teasing to see your reaction, but since you can"t answer, I guess it was true?"
"Do not do something you"ll regret, human!"
"Regret? Instead of self reflection or regret, how about I show you something interesting?"
"….."
I cast a Frozen Orb at him.
Frozen Orb was the lowest ranking skill, also known as a trash skill.
This pathetic attack grazed his cheek and continued to fly by.
However, I hadn"t just used Frozen Orb.
Since I was able to use all of my strength now, I had channeled additional mana into the skill to enhance it before sending it flying.
Purple blood spilled from his cheek.
This situation really didn"t make any sense to the average spectator.
To think that the one with the greatest vitality in the demonic realm would bleed profusely from a single Frozen Orb.
From looking at him, I could see that his eyes were filled with shock.
My attack ignored all resistances and had a 100% success rate.
On top of that, it prevented healing.
I gave him a sinister smile.
"Hurry up and try healing with your magical energy."
"You made a mistake that you cannot take back……"
"Your injury is what that cannot be reversed, and have you really not understood the situation?"
"No matter how long it takes, I will rise in power and take the Demon King"s throne by myself. The first thing I shall do with the Demon King"s Authority will be to raise an army of death. After that, I shall immediately send them through the Gate that connects the demonic realm to Earth! Though to call it a fair punishment for your betrayal would be light….."
"So can you recover."
"An injury like this….. What! How can this be….."
"You should"ve brought some ointment or something. You"d heal back in no time, right?"
Belkoseu had used magical energy to recover before.
However, the cut from the skill I used did not heal even after a long time.
With my arms crossed, I spoke with my head held high.
"Do you have the confidence to block any additional attacks?"
"….."
"Even though you"ll have to live with the pain for an eternity?"
"d.a.m.n….."
"What I want isn"t something so difficult."
"….."
"As you wish, I"ll give you the demonic realm onto the palm of your hands. How about it?"
"What are you up to! And how did you obtain so much power in such a short amount of time….."
"Don"t bother trying to figure that out. Just remember this well. That if you mess with humans, you"ll get more than you bargained for."
"Right now, you could tear me apart like a dirty rag and leave me to suffer an eternity in the demonic realm. But you"re saying that you"ll let me take the seat of the Demon King?"
"Yep. To be exact, it won"t be the seat of the Demon King. After all, since the one who becomes Demon King will be the one with the most amount of magical energy, and that will be me, naturally."
"I"m sure that what you wish of me will be incredibly difficult."
"That"s not the case."
"….."
"How about it? Would you like to at least hear me out?"
"Kuhu……"
Instead of negotiating a deal, I threatened Belkoseu.
I was sure that he would"ve noticed from my simple attack.
I had become an existence with a power far surpa.s.sing him in an instant.
"What I want is……"
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Getting a lucky bonus unexpectedly while doing something else. 164. Demonic Realm Factory"s Plant Manager (Feat. Belkoseu)
Belkoseu flinched at the small cut on his cheek, unable to hide his shock.
It was an attack that came from Min-Cheol"s hand.
It wasn"t the flashy skills that he had been seeing, but a small chunk of ice had come out instead.
However, this attack that came out from this human"s hand shot out at a speed almost impossible for him to comprehend.
After all, it was so fast that he couldn"t even try avoiding it.
Not only that, but he also couldn"t ignore the power behind the attack.
However, the real reason why he was surprised wasn"t because of the destructive power behind the attack.
He was an immortal existence.
No attack could destroy him, and he never flinched to an attack before.
However, with this single attack, he had met with fear that he had never felt before.
Not only that, but the wound from the attack did not heal.
Since it was a simple injury, he had thought that he could recover using a little bit of magical energy.
If not, he had believed that after some time, it would heal on its own.
However, the injury didn"t show any signs of healing, and instead kept on bleeding out profusely.
The reality that Belkoseu faced was something far worse than what he had expected.
After Min-Cheol woke up from his sleep, even the aura around him was different.
It wasn"t as if he had the ability to sense powers other than magical energies, but he felt it for sure.
He was positive that Min-Cheol had grown several times stronger.
Not only that, but he also sensed that real death could be fast approaching him.
Belkoseu was like a flower in the demonic realm.
To him, Min-Cheol the human, who had come from Earth to the demonic realm, was something akin to a b.u.t.terfly.
For someone who had difficulty growing stronger even if he struggled as much as he could, Min-Cheol had come and given him the opportunity for a tasty fruit to bear.
At the end though, he had planned to become a carnivorous plant to eat this insect instead.
Since he was aware of the Gate that led to Earth existing in Berdan"s territory, once he had obtained the t.i.tle of Demon King, he was planning to rule over the human realm as well.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
"….."
"Won"t you focus? Can you still not understand your situation? Are you even listening to me?"
"What happened. I sense an unknown power from you….."
"Glad to hear. I was worried that I had to bring you halfway to death in order to make you realize."
"Kuu….."
"I don"t plan to kill you. Isn"t that good news for you?"
"……"
"However, there is something you need to do. I guess this part isn"t that much of a good news?"
"What……. What will you have me do?"
Belkoseu, who had completely submitted under Min-Cheol"s strength, carefully asked a question instead of resisting.
"The Demon King and Ladin. They will disappear within days. Of course, they will die by my hand."
"Im… Impossible!"
"What part of you needs to be cut off before you fix your habit of cutting people off?"
"Ugh……"
"From now on, if you have something to say, raise your hand and ask me for my permission. You will only speak after I give you permission, understood?"
"……"
"Answer me!"
"Ah! Yes!"
"Good. After all, you are immortal, right?"
"That"s right. I have the immortal Authority….."
"You should think carefully if you know what"s good for you. After all, you could be subjected to the pain of your body being torn apart without being granted the sweet bliss of death, living like that forever."
"What do you wish of me….."
"Obedience. And for you to toil for me."
"If you need monsters with the magical energy capacity that of a demon king candidate, I shall call forth as many as you need."
"Hey. Look, buddy. I don"t need anything like that anymore."
"….."
"From now on, you shall become known as the demonic realm"s factory plant manager."
"I do not understand what you mean by that."
"Bloodstones. You shall bring me an amount that I will decide on each day."
"Are you telling me to pick up those pathetic stones! I am Belkoseu, a being with an Authority that grants me immortality….."
"You can do your self introductions later when you"re alone. Just answer."
"Ahem!"
Belkoseu crossed his arms and turned his head to stare off into s.p.a.ce.
This was obviously gesture of declination.
Despite his position, it must be due to his pride.
It was obvious for Min-Cheol to not take kindly to such a gesture.
Using Blink to get right next to Belkoseu, Min-Cheol raised his hand.
"AHHH!"
His forehead turned red as if on fire.
Despite being hit with just a flick of a finger, it had enough strength to blow apart most monsters.
Belkoseu held his forehead in his hands and asked.
"Wait! Then what shall I receive from this?"
"Good. You should"ve said that from the start. I"m not an evil employer after all."
"Kuuu…"
"Obedience. And if you work hard, then you shall become the strongest monster in the demonic realm!"
"Oho! You plan to let me defeat the Demon King and Ladin with my own hands! I shall be obtaining their magical energies!"
"No, that"s not it. I can"t go back to the demonic realm without becoming the Demon King. Well, there is a Gate, but it"s not a full proof plan."
"Then….."
"If I absorb all the magical energies of Zekill, Berdan, Ladin, and Jamon, who are the leaders of the demonic tribes, then?"
"……"
"I will be holding onto over 90% of the magical energies of the demon realm, right?"
"That…. That"s right….."
"Out of the remaining 10%, you"ll be the strongest."
"Is that all!"
"Do you want to obey after you lose your arms and legs? Or do you want to work while you still have them?"
"Ahhhhh!"
Belkoseu flailed about in desperation.
Not able to hold back his anger, his entire body shook.
Not only that, but purple blood was coming out from his tightly clenched fists.
It seemed that he was quite angry.
"Hm?"
"I! I am Belkoseu! Holder of the immortal Authority Belkoseu! My destiny is to become the Demon King! That is why! I shall work while keeping my limbs intact!"
"You little….. To think that we had the same sense of humor."
"Kuhu……. Just promise me one thing, human."
"What is it?"
"As you demand, I shall continue sending bloodstones to Earth."
"Right, right."
"However, if the amount I delivered didn"t meet your demands or if I failed to deliver them properly, then……"
"Continue."
"Do not come back to the demonic realm!"
"That"s nothing. If there is a good employee at the workplace, why would the boss come out to the store? Okay. This, I shall be happy to do so. After all, only by doing this will you have some pride still left as the best employee of the demonic realm."
"I do not understand these concepts of shops and employees, but….. I shall take it that you have agreed."
"Yeah. Since there is not an official contract, let us shake hands and settle on this. After all, I have a lot to do."
Min-Cheol pulled Belkoseu"s hand and forcefully shook hands.
Belkoseu"s expression was the definition of having eaten s.h.i.t.
Just from putting out his hand forward, Belkoseu was freaking out intensely and went into a defensive stance.
The reason why Min-Cheol didn"t kill Belkoseu and instead planned to use him as a source of bloodstones was the following.
As said beforehand, the Demon King and Ladin will soon be removed out of existence.
We still had 7 King"s Marbles, and now I had the power of the Piece of Time and s.p.a.ce.
Not only could I use mana, but I could now use it in any way I wanted to.
With this, I did not need to grow any stronger before I could defeat my opponents.
After that, as the one with the most amount of magical energy, I would naturally rise to the t.i.tle of the Demon King.
Since the dawn of the demonic realm till now, I would have the most amount of magical energy by far of any Demon Kings in the past.
Since it will be over 90% of the magical energy in the demonic realm, it would be quite a lot more than any before.
If that is what comes to pa.s.s, then we would be able to return to Earth safely.
Not only that, but I could remove the portals and dungeons formed on Earth one-sidedly.
Removing the portals and dungeons on Earth was a good thing, obviously.
After all, I would be putting an end to the monsters causing destruction upon our world.
However, humans had adapted bit by bit since the monsters appeared.
The biggest example was the appearance of the mutant Awakened.
Also, bloodstones that dropped from defeating the monsters were incorporated into our society.
Right now, bloodstones had become a resource that humans couldn"t live without.
Not only were they responsible for keeping machinery and factories powered, but even the creation of the smallest everyday products required the stones.
But if the portals and dungeons disappeared, cutting off the supply of bloodstones to us humans?
It would cause chaos equivalent to the first appearance of portals on Earth.
To put it simply, it would be the equivalent of coal and fossil fuel that were the main source of energy 40 years ago disappear all of a sudden.
That is why Min-Cheol did not plan at all to remove all portals and the Gate that connected the demonic realm with Earth once he had risen to the seat of the Demon King.
It was the only way that humanity could be supplied with this stuff, so why would he.
Continuing to kill the monsters that sp.a.w.ned endlessly, humanity would continue obtaining the stones.
There wouldn"t be many who could do this job.
That is why I put Belkoseu on the table.
Sealing the deal with a threat, Min-Cheol called for Karin.
"Karin!"
"Keruru. What is it?"
"Let"s use your ability a bit."
"Keruk? Is there a monster you"d like to locate? Who is it?"
"Demon King."
"Kel?"
"Ah, I made a mistake."
"Kehhehheh. I thought you went insane for a second, Min-Cheol. Without being insane, why would you go to the demon king? Kel kel."
"Instead of the Demon King, let"s go find Ladin first. Well, I think they"d be together, so I guess it doesn"t matter."
"Kehheh? Jong Ho! Min-Cheol is being strange! I think he didn"t sleep well!"
"Pfft. He"s fine. Please search them out for me."
"Kehet! Have both of you given up! Have you lost your sights on getting back to Earth alive!"
"No, that"s not…."
"Keruk! I am disappointed at the two of you!"
Karin had no idea that Min-Cheol had become strong beyond description at this point.
It was to be expected, since Karin had been happily eating away some steaks after Min-Cheol had woken up.
To him, it must"ve looked like I was just trying to end this long journey in the demonic realm.
He must be thinking that I had given up on everything, planning to die at the hands of the Demon King and Ladin.
As he spoke out pa.s.sionately, food from his mouth spewed forth all over the place.
Seeing this little goblin rage, I found it cute without understanding exactly why.
Jong Ho set about the difficult task of calming down the upset Puppet Goblin.
"Karin. We"ll be heading back to Earth now."
"Kehheheh…… Min-Cheol, is it very difficult for you? You can talk to me. Family is supposed to be like this."
"No, you fool! I"ve become incredibly strong. Not only Ladin, but I could easily defeat the Demon King now."
"Keruuuuuuu. Jong Ho! Min-Cheol is hurting. I think he is hurting on the inside a lot."
"Sigh. Let me show you. Hey, Belkoseu."
"……"
"Let"s get this whole pecking order all cleared up. From now on, consider Jong Ho-hyung and Karin as equals to me and address them accordingly. Understood?"
"Kuhuu!"
"Finger flicking again?"
"Kuhu….. Understood…"
"And isn"t there a way to address people respectively in the demonic realm? Why are you not addressing me with respect since the moment we met."
"Kel kel! There is! Even in the demonic realm, there is a way to refer others with respect in a way that follows etiquette."
"Oho? Is that so? Sir Belkoseu? I ask that you address us respectively now, please?"
"Tsk! I understand…. Sir."
"Kehhel! Kehhel! Kehhel! Say it properly!"
"Karin…. Sir….."
"Keh heh heh heh!"
Karin laughed as if he had owned the entire world for quite some time.
His happy expression was as if he was swimming in a pile of steaks.
Without much thought, I looked at his expression for awhile.
I was hoping that the life in the demonic realm that I thought would never end would conclude happily as Karin"s laughter right now.
"Karin! Find us the Demon King!"
"Kel! Understood!"
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