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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 84
In truth, Simon had no obligation to save Christian.
The only reason he had come along this time was due to a whim.
He simply pledged loyalty to Nordian and had no duty to help anyone from the Dark Demonic House.
However—
‘If Prince Christian were to die just like this, I’d probably get bored.’
Simon licked his lips with his tongue.
Ever since he left the Blood Sword Demonic House, he had been living a withered, desolate life.
Perhaps because his soul was already dead? It was a dull life where nothing sparked his interest.
And recently, the only thing that sparked even a flicker of interest in Simon was Christian.
Simon wasn’t the only one who found Christian intriguing.
Even Merian, who had always been cold toward everyone in the family, and even Nordian had been captivated by him.
‘Nordian may speak coldly, but he’s secretly paying close attention to Prince Christian.’
After some thought, Simon made his decision.
“Let’s go. Hopefully, our dear Prince Christian hasn’t encountered the boss of the 17th floor yet.”
Simon smiled faintly.
“If he’s faced the 17th floor’s boss, the Spider Queen Tarantula, then we’re all as good as dead.”
* * *
At that moment, Chris—
Completely unaware of the ridiculous lengths the people left on the lower floors were going to for his sake—was gasping for breath.
‘As expected of a devil’s spiritual pressure. The sheer force is no joke.’
But—
Chris’s eyes gleamed.
‘Luckily, I can still endure it. Just as I expected.’
It was unbelievable.
Spiritual pressure was completely different from ordinary intimidation.
It was a pressure born from the difference in the rank of souls.
If you were a mortal, there was no way to be free from this pressure.
But Chris was different.
‘Because I’m not an ordinary mortal.’
At that moment, the devil acknowledged the fact.
[What a curious existence. An incomplete mortal possessing the soul-tier of a “half-devil .”]
Chris had absorbed ten-tenths of the Sacred Darkness, which had elevated the tier of his soul.
That was why he could withstand the pressure emanating from the devil’s soul.
‘I have to play this right from here.’
Chris quietly inhaled.
It was obviously impossible to face that devil with just his own power.
Especially since that devil was a first seat of the 4th Realm.
For reference, devils were ranked by their soul-realms.
The 1st and 2nd tier archdevils weren’t so much beings as they were concepts or principles that made up the world, so among devils that actually existed, this one stood at the very highest level.
Even while most of his powers were sealed, he could still wield strength equal to a 9-star Demon King—a truly great being.
So, if Chris wanted to get what he needed from him, he had to use “strategy.”
More precisely—
‘I have to deceive him. Make him hand over the item.’
Deceiving a Devil!
It was utterly absurd.
A single misstep, and his soul would be shattered and annihilated in agonizing torment.
‘But there’s a chance. Because I know his weakness.’
Chris hardened his expression.
Thump. His heart pounded with tension, but he ignored it and spoke in a firm voice.
“Foolish. You fail to recognize who I am?”
[…What?]
“I am the incarnation of a First Seat of the Fourth Realm of Gehenna, just like you. Can you not even recognize an existence of your own rank? Has your seal blinded you as well?”
[!!]
The Devil growled with violent force.
[How dare you. Do you think I’ll believe such absurd nonsense?]
“Then what? Are you saying a mere mortal body could possess the status of a half-devil without a divine authority?”
An outrageous bluff!
But Chris was certain the Devil wouldn’t be able to see through his lie.
‘His perception is completely sealed right now.’
To compare it to a human, all five senses were sealed off—along with spiritual intuition, arcane perception, and all other higher faculties.
There was no way he could see through Chris’s true nature.
Chris added another blow to further confuse him.
“You’ve ended up in this miserable state because you fell for the schemes of the ‘Jester,’ and even lost your insight.”
[!!]
“To think the one who once terrified the Three Realms as the ‘Star Slayer’ has fallen this far. Truly pathetic.”
The Jester.
The Star Slayer.
Nicknames that only a Devil or a constellation familiar with his past would know.
‘Of course, I’m the exception.’
After the Hero’s party defeated him, the Devil had cried out in bitter anguish:
—For I, who once made the Three Realms tremble—me, the Star Slayer—have been brought to this state! You Jester, who schemed this vile trap—I will drag you into the abyss someday!
That was how Chris had come to know, though the Devil had no way of knowing Chris’s background.
[Absurd… A being of the Fourth Realm would never stoop to inhabiting such a lowly mortal body!]
He strongly denied it, but Chris had already noticed the Devil was partially falling for his words.
“It was the only way to avoid the vile gaze of the constellations. And more importantly, there’s a reason I’ve taken on this pathetic body.”
[…What is it?]
“To match your level.”
Chris curled his lips into a mocking smirk.
“Isn’t this worthless body more than enough to mock a wretch like you—sealed up like a cripple, unable to live or die?”
[!!]
The Devil erupted in fury.
The entire space trembled as if it were about to collapse.
Even in a sealed state, this was the power he released from sheer anger alone.
Chris’s body instinctively began to tremble.
A reflexive reaction beyond his will.
He quickly used a secret technique of the Divine Lineage to suppress his bodily response and continued with words that further provoked the Devil.
“To think you call that little display power. Pathetic and pitiful.”
[!!]
“If my true form were to descend, I could crush your soul just by lifting a single foot. And yet you dare flaunt such a ridiculous show of strength? This is your final warning—do not test my mercy.”
Was it working?
The Devil withdrew his power.
He still seemed enraged, but unlike before, he could no longer express it outwardly.
[If you are truly a First Seat of the Fourth Realm, then why have you come? State your purpose clearly.]
“For amusement.”
[…What?]
“During these tedious, endless eons, I searched for a toy to ease my boredom—and remembered your existence.”
A surprisingly convincing excuse.
After all, boredom was one of the greatest motivators behind Devils’ actions.
Devils didn’t reap human souls or spread carnage across the world for some grand purpose. It was simply because it was “fun.”
“I propose a wager. If you take part and win, I’ll do my best to lift your seal.”
[!!]
The Devil faltered.
[What is this…? Do you mean to defy the will of the Three Realms of the Dark Heavens?]
Chris realized something from those words.
The Dark Heavens.
A term that encompassed both Gehenna and the Heavenly Realm.
This underground garden had been constructed through the cooperation of constellations and Devils—specifically, beings of the Third Realm or higher.
“Didn’t I say? I said I would try. I can’t make any promises. But I swear on my name.”
[…Kukuku. You mock me. As if such a thing were even possible.]
“If you don’t like it, then don’t do it. It’s not like I have anything to lose.”
As the Devil had said, it was an impossible task.
What could Chris possibly do to break the seal?
Even the oath he offered as a guarantee was part of the bluff.
‘Swearing on the name of a mortal like me doesn’t mean anything.’
But even so, Chris was confident the Devil wouldn’t be able to turn down his offer.
It was the first glimmer of hope to appear in countless eons.
Even if it was a lie, the Devil wouldn’t be able to reject it so easily.
And sure enough—
[…If I lose, what do you want me to do?]
“It’s simple. You erase yourself.”
[!!]
“You’ll come back soon anyway, won’t you? It’s not like you’ll suffer any real loss.”
That was true.
Surprisingly, the monsters in this underground garden would reset with time.
Even if a visitor wiped out the bosses of each level, they would soon reappear exactly the same.
From the perspective of those visiting for training, it was a convenient and beneficial place—but for the monsters trapped in this underground garden, it was a horrific hell they could not escape from, not even through death.
[…Why propose such a wager? You stand to gain absolutely nothing from doing this.]
“Didn’t I already say?”
It was absolutely crucial that Chris did not reveal his true goal—clearing the 27th floor and obtaining the first-clear reward item.
Instead, Chris gave an answer befitting a Devil.
“Because it’s fun.”
[!!]
“I want to watch you, once a being who made the Three Realms tremble, now writhing in agony—neither alive nor dead. Watching a Devil of the same rank in such a pitiful state would be sweeter than any entertainment.”
Thump. Thump.
His heart pounded.
The die had been cast.
Now it was up to the Devil—would he accept, or not?
‘If he refuses and uses force, it’s over. I’ll have to run immediately.’
He had already prepared a way to escape.
The spatial scissors.
As mentioned earlier, it was normally impossible to use spatial scissors to escape. The high probability was becoming a spatial drifter and dying.
But now it was possible.
‘It hasn’t been long since I “transferred,” so the variables in subspace should still be calm.’
The chance of a successful teleportation was high.
‘Still, it’s probably less than a 50% chance.’
Chris hid his nervousness and waited for the Devil’s decision.
[…Fine. I accept your proposal.]
‘Yes!’ The Devil’s voice came out in a bitter tone.
[Even if you’re only mocking me, I have no other choice, do I?]
Perhaps.
The Devil might have already realized Chris was lying.
But even so, it seemed he had accepted it as part of his miserable fate.
[So, what’s the wager? Don’t tell me you plan to pick some contest like those pathetic humans do?]
“Of course not. It’s simple.”
Chris raised one corner of his lips in a crooked smile.
“Say my true name.”
[!!]
“I’ll give you as many chances as you want. If you say my true name, you win.”
The Devil was silent for a moment.
[An incomprehensible wager. If you truly are a First Seat of the Fourth Realm, then I should know you. And yet, you want me to guess your true name?]
The Fourth Realm was a high-tier rank even in Gehenna.
There weren’t many Devils of that level.
If the Devil simply named all the true names he knew, the wager would be over.
It would reveal that Chris wasn’t a Fourth Realm Devil, and the wager would be void.
However—
‘There’s a reason I proposed this kind of wager.’
This was the highlight of Chris’s scheme—no, his con.
“You’ll never guess my true name.”
[Kukuku. I don’t know what trick you’re playing at. Fine. Let’s begin.]
The Devil began listing the true names of the First Seats of the Fourth Realm that he knew, one by one.
Each time, Chris shook his head.
Before long—
The Devil had listed every true name of the Fourth Realm Devils he knew, and Chris gave one final shake of his head.
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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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