The Modern Founding Chronicles of the Returned Demon King

The Modern Founding Chronicles of the Returned Demon King

Episode 20: Hell (2)

A little while ago, Hyude showed me the situation using ‘Telepathy’ and ‘Memory Transfer’. I grasped what had happened.

I left Jeong Ye-Rin in the care of the Dawn Guild and headed for the rooftop of the Twilight Guild.

“Have you arrived, Your Majesty?”

Clothes that are elegant but stained with blood here and there. A few more strands of hair sticking out than usual.

It was truly the aftermath of a battle. Of course, for Hyude, it was closer to the concept of a ‘hunt’.

I cleaned him up with [Clean].

“Ah, thank you.”

I didn’t answer him and shifted my gaze to the kneeling man.

His expression was twisted, his head held by Hyude.

“Is this guy one of those who attacked Lee Seo-Yeon?”

“Yes, he seemed like the leader among them, so I brought him.”

“Well done.”

“I merely did what was necessary.”

This way, I’ll find out who’s behind them. Once they have revealed their hostility towards me, I won’t let it slide easily.

I’m planning to go all the way to their headquarters and destroy it.

“Heh heh, you think I’ll give you information? Just kill me. No matter how much you torture me, you won’t get any information out of me.”

The guy sneered at us, and I tilted my head.

“Why would I bother torturing someone like you?”

“You’re not going to torture me…?”

I bent my knees to meet his eye level.

“You arrogant thing.”

Then, I smirked.

“A demon doesn’t threaten someone to get what they want. They just take it without the other party knowing. That’s what a real ‘demon’ is.”

“W-what…?”

His face turned ashen.

Ignoring him, I looked back at Hyude.

“Hyude, use ‘Memory Transfer’ on me.”

“Yes, how many days’ worth of memories should I transfer?”

“About a week from the most recent should suffice. If it’s not enough, we’ll use it again.”

“Understood.”

Memory Transfer, one of Hyude’s abilities.

As the name suggests, it transfers someone’s memories to another person. With this, we should be able to find out about the guy’s hideout or boss.

The guy looked at us, bewildered.

“W-what are you going to do to me?”

“Shut up. Open your mouth one more time, and I’ll sew it shut.”

Ignoring his protests, I turned back to Hyude.

His eyes were closed as he gathered magi in his hands.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, I will start right away.”

Hyude placed his hand on the guy’s head, and I slightly lowered my posture to touch my head against his.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Hyude’s hand touched my head.

“Memory Transfer.”

As if struck by electricity, a tingling sensation came over me, followed by fragments of memories.

[…Master.]

[…Not yet.]

[…Was she the secretary during the gate collapse?]

[…The opportunity is when Lee Seo-jun and that guy are gone]

[…Initiate]

My memories and his memories jumbled together. Although I was momentarily confused about my identity, my brain quickly organized itself and clearly separated the memories.

“No more memories are needed. You did well, Hyude.”

“It was an honor to come into contact with Your Majesty’s essence.”

I nodded and collected my thoughts. With the newly received memories, I figured out not just the face of the guy called the Master, but also the location of their hideout.

“The Leader of Greed… So, he’s from the same group as the guy I met at the lecture hall.”

The guy I met at the lecture hall had a tattoo of ‘Greed’ on his hand, so it’s likely the same person. There are a few questions I’d like to ask him when we meet. The quest details and even the race and title seemed to hint at ‘those guys’.

“Your Majesty, what shall we do with this one?”

Hyude forcibly lifted the guy’s face. His eyes were vacant, as if he were drugged; a side effect of memory transfer.

“Kill him as painfully as possible. Leave no trace.”

“Yes, I will feed him to the whip demon.”

“Good.”

I turned and channeled magi into my fingers. I intended to use [Demon Arts] to go straight to the hideout.

I ripped through the air with the magic emanating from my fingertips.

A swirling black vortex opened, connecting to that place, like a firework.

“I’ll be back.”

I stepped into it.

***

Around the same time, in a building in Korea, a man was sprawled on a pentagram drawn in blood, and in front of him stood Heo Ki-chan, the Leader of Greed.

Heo Ki-chan looked at the ceiling and shouted.

“O our God! I accept your ‘oracle’ and will now offer a sacrifice!”

He drew a crescent-like dagger from his bosom and plunged it into the man.

The cold crescent was dyed red as it pierced the man’s heart. Hot blood spurted out, staining Heo Ki-chan’s cheek.

He stood up from his seat with a face full of ecstatic blood, staring at the void.

Eagerly waiting for something, the next moment, a ‘dark window’ appeared.

[Greedy One] (Completed)

Description: Offer the one tainted by greed on the pentagram drawn in blood. The more tainted by greed the offering is, the greater the reward granted to you.

Sacrifice your life. Sacrifice your desires.

Though I may descend upon that world someday, you must never cease your greed.

Fear and anticipate. The time is drawing nearer; when it comes, I shall give you the world.

Reward: Catalyst for summoning the Marquis of Scythes.

“Ah, a Marquis…”

Heo Ki-chan caught the falling red candle with an ecstatic look.

Of course, this was merely a ‘summoning,’ not an ‘enslavement’, so they couldn’t command the Marquis.

“Thank you, O our God!”

No answer came back. The ‘oracle’ quietly vanished.

Heo Ki-chan lit a candle and placed it on top of the pentagram.

The fire flickered on the wick.

A disturbing voice faintly echoed, and the smoke coalesced into a form.

Its majestic figure resembled that of a demon.

“Wait a few minutes and he shall appear.”

Grinning, Heo Ki-chan turned and descended the stairs.

The floor below was dark.

The size was as large as the inside of a grand church, with a height of over 10 meters, but there was no concept of rooms. Only a few pieces of furniture occupied the empty space.

“Is the report not in yet…?”

Among them, Heo Ki-chan sat down at the desk where the computer was placed.

“Master!”

Just then, Lee Han-gil, who had come up the stairs, ran up to him.

“What’s the matter?”

“Contact with the followers who went to capture Lee Seo-yeon has been completely cut off!”

Heo Ki-chan’s response came much later.

“…What did you say?”

“Could Lee Seo-jun have appeared?”

“That can’t be. I received a definite report that Lee Seo-jun is at the Dawn Guild.”

“But why…”

Heo Ki-chan couldn’t answer that question.

Even if they are followers, they are skilled people with magi, there’s no way they could fail to kidnap a single ordinary person.

So why did contact get cut off? They would have waited for three days for the perfect opportunity.

-Wh, who is it!

-Bang!

Suddenly, a noise erupted from the lower floor.

As if a cannon had gone off, it was a ferocious force.

Feeling that energy, Heo Ki-chan’s whole body tingled.

“What is this energy…”

Even from afar, the heavy energy felt incomparable even to him, the leader.

“Was the Marquis summoned?”

If so, that would make sense. A summoning was due to happen soon anyway.

However…

That energy was coming up from the lower floor, not the upper one.

If the Marquis had been summoned, the presence should have been felt from the upper floor.

-Groan! Groan!

The building shook as if there were an earthquake, and the followers on the same floor looked puzzled.

The noise continued, and suddenly, all sounds ceased.

“…Something is coming.”

He muttered softly.

The serene silence that flowed inside the building, as if agreed upon, everyone maintained silence.

Step, step.

The regular sound of footsteps could be heard.

Someone was coming up the stairs. All eyes turned in that direction.

Like a dark cloud covering the sky, a figure emerged from the darkness.

…Flowing black hair. A perfectly angular face, an expression that could be called serene.

The man was climbing the stairs calmly as if parting the air itself. However, what emanated from him was a powerful bolt of lightning.

“Lee Seo-jun…!”

It was Lee Seo-jun, who should have been at the Dawn Guild.

In the face of this inexplicable situation, no one could speak out of turn.

Eventually, when his foot touched the ground, someone shouted.

“Who do you think you are barging in here like this!”

A pitch-black gaze met him. Lee Seo-jun’s arm rose high.

Magic condensed at his fingertips. It formed a black sphere.

Boom!

“Don’t forget.”

The orb of death released from his hand struck the believer directly. The believer was immediately flung back and pinned to the wall.

Seeing this overwhelming spectacle, another believer let out a whimper filled with dread.

“Ugh…”

Lee Seo-Jun’s hand pointed at that believer.

This time, a black phoenix tore through the air. It reached its target in a flash, swallowing the believer whole.

Fwoosh!

“Don’t even make a sound.”

Engulfed in black flames, the believer screamed in agony.

Though hot air circulated within the building, everyone present felt as if they were frozen.

Only the cult leader, Heo Ki-chan, regained his senses and slammed the table.

“Kill him!!”

Only then did the believers adopt a combat stance.

Transforming into demons almost 3 meters tall, they charged.

“……”

Yet, Lee Seo-Jun’s stern demeanor didn’t change.

He activated [Demon King’s Gluttony]. Drawing a sword from his scabbard as if it were the ‘Demon King’ itself.

“Die!!”

One of the believers leapt into the air and swung a fist at Lee Seo-Jun.

With a smooth, diagonal motion, Lee Seo-Jun attacked.

Slash!

The believer was cleanly bisected, following the precise trajectory.

Blood splattered and touched his cheek, but he didn’t bother wiping it off.

Whack!

He simply projected himself at the charging demons.

“You have neither the right to speak nor the right to be in pain.”

Every time he swung his sword, demons were sent flying.

Flesh was scattered, and fresh blood was dispersed.

“Born as humans, yet worse than demons.”

He quietly recited as he swung his sword.

Sword Energy rampant around him were straight without a hint of distortion.

“You’re already demons, so how dare you claim to be demons?”

In a building quiet as late winter, the blood-soaked plum blossoms wavered.

While everyone else hung their heads, bright red blood bubbled at the tip of Lee Seo-Jun’s sword.

“Born as a human, die as a demon.”

A brutal yet breathtaking landscape was painted. His sword became a brush, coloring it in red.

The life and death of everyone here now hung on the tip of that sharp brush.

“That is the only hell permitted to you.”

Red ink splashed, filling in the empty spaces.

Thick lines and thin lines came together to form death.

Living a few seconds longer would only end in death.

“I offer that hell to you now.”

It was indeed hell.

(To be continued in the next episode)