Chapter 304.

The first thing I recognized was the explosion . The land turned over and crimson pillars of fire shot up into the air . I saw the flames penetrate the protective walls and stretch out in all directions .

Aether moved before I could think . It stretched towards the flames before turning into a thick barricade that stopped the fire from spreading .

The explosion stopped, but this was only the beginning .

Koong—!

The earth shook violently, followed by huge crustal movements .

Everywhere I could see, the earth was starting to slither like a snake . Suddenly, a giant ‘door’ appeared at the center of the transformed land . It was a rectangular, metallic door .

“Uaah, uuk…!”

Yoo Yeonha leaned against me, swaying back and forth from the earthquake . I created a foothold with Aether and stood on top of it with her . Now in a more stable position, Yoo Yeonha let out a dry cough of embarrassment and turned her gaze to the other side .

“…What is that?”

“I have no idea . ”

Runic language that I couldn’t understand floated around the mysterious door .

It was a rather strange scene .

I carefully looked over the symbols .

[Interpreting the runes with Gift ‘Observation and Reading’]

[First step to Demon Realm Transformation — Erosion]

[30 days left until the door to the Demon Realm opens]

“…It looks like bad things will happen when that door opens,” Yoo Yeonha said with a frown, “Though I’m not exactly sure what that is-”

“Be quiet while I interpret the runes . ”

“…What?”

Yoo Yeonha’s face distorted into a scowl .

I ignored her and continued with the interpretation .

[This is the ‘Demon Realm Gate’ which increases the rate of Demon Realm Transformation of the land surrounding it . ]

“This is the ‘Demon Realm Gate’ which increases the rate of Demon Realm Transformation of the land surrounding it . ”

I spoke out loud so that Yoo Yeonha could hear .

She looked more comfortable now .

[30 days from now, the Door of Challenge will open . A total of 200 people may rise to the challenge . ]

“30 days from now, the Door of Challenge will open . A total of 200 people may rise to the challenge . ”

[If the challengers are victorious, the door will disappear forever . ]

[However, if the challengers are defeated, the door will open completely and the ‘devil’ shall descend . ]

[Entrance is first come first served . ]

The moment I finished the interpretation, demons suddenly rose from the transformed earth . They looked similar to humans except for the horns on their heads, just like the demons I saw in the Tower of Wish .

“…The Demon Realm Gate . ”

The name sounded strangely familiar .

‘The Demon Realm Gate, the Demon Realm Gate…’

I kept repeating it inside my head . Then I suddenly remembered .

“Ah, this is-”

‘The Demon Realm Gate’ was among the settings I had discarded . It was quite different from regular Erosion .

I went on a hiatus before I could utilize it, but I knew for sure that a new world and challenges were waiting inside it .

It would be the perfect stepping stone for a memorable ending .

“This is- What?”

“Huh? Oh, it’s nothing . ”

I shook my head at Yoo Yeonha’s question .

“I just wanted to say, all the information I just told you, be sure to keep them to yourself . I don’t want any Djinns to enter the Gate 30 days from now . ”

“…Of course . You didn’t think I’d know that?”

Yoo Yeonha shrugged, slightly offended .

“But I already heard everything you said . ”

All of a sudden, I heard Jin Sahyuk’s voice .

Startled, I turned my head to the side, and there she was, Jin Sahyuk, just as expected .

Jin Sahyuk looked at me and Yoo Yeonha and smirked .

“I’ll definitely be one of the 200 challengers . ”

“…”

I was really self-conscious because of Yoo Yeonha . I had to pretend that I had never seen Jin Sahyuk before in my life .

“I’ve seen her before . She’s Crevon’s former Knight Commander,” Yoo Yeonha remarked .

“Ah . You’re right,” I said with a nod .

“…This is ridiculous . ”

Jin Sahyuk began digging into her pockets . At the same time, I heard loud footsteps from a distance . Heroes were probably on their way here .

“What is she doing?”

Yoo Yeonha stared at Jin Sahyuk with doubtful eyes . Jin Sahyuk was looking at me through a magnifying glass .

… . Wait .

A magnifying glass?

“Hey, hey! Stop!”

I stretched Aether towards the magnifying glass, but… .

Boom!

It shattered into pieces before Aether could reach it .

Chwaak… .

Pieces of glass fell on the ground .

“Damn it . ”

I had no idea why the magnifying glass suddenly shattered .

Maybe Jin Sahyuk broke it, or maybe it broke naturally .

But I knew one thing for sure .

“…”

That Jin Sahyuk definitely saw something .

Her widened eyes and dazed expression told me so .

But I didn’t have any time to react .

“Hey! What happened here? I’m the high-intermediate-rank Hero Kim Wajung from Creator’s Sacred Grace!”

Soon, hundreds of Heroes and reporters poured in, and I took my eyes off of Jin Sahyuk for about 1 second .

“…Damn it . ”

And Jin Sahyuk was gone .

**

[Heart of Pandemonium — Chameleon Troupe’s Building]

“…A request, you say?”

The next day, Boss received a call from Kim Hajin . He informed her of his decision on accepting a request in the name of Jeronimo’s Fenrir .

—Yes, I was hired as a bodyguard .

Bodyguard . That made sense considering how dangerous Pandemonium was . It was much bigger and far more brutal than any civilian could imagine .

“Are you heading to the west?”

Initially, Pandemonium started in the plains of Mongolia . However, as the Djinns gained more and more power, the territory stretched beyond Xinjiang into Kazakhstan .

—Yes, to Kazakhstan .

Boss nodded, her gaze fixed on the TV screen .

[The appearance of the ‘Demon Realm Gate’ at the border area of North Hamgyeong Province has driven the Association to call for an emergency meeting… . ]

Reports of ‘Demon Realm Transformation’ in North Hamgyeong Province were in full swing . Rather than the news, Boss was more focused on Kim Hajin and Jin Sahyuk . Though it was only for a brief moment, Boss saw the two of them together on the screen .

“…Are you going alone?”

—Yes, it’s highly confidential .

“…”

She said nothing . But currently, her imagination was running wild .

Kim Hajin continued .

—I’m sorry that I’ve been so busy lately . But my gift should’ve arrived there by now… Boss, did you not get it yet?

“…Gift?”

Boss raised her eyebrows .

—Yes . Clothes and a robe .

“I didn’t get any-”

As Boss shook her head, she suddenly recalled last night’s strange incident .

Jain was wearing a dress and a robe both of which Boss had never seen before . When Boss asked her about them, Jain, clearly surprised, had answered, “It’s nothing . ”

‘Did she really…?’

Boss felt anger well up in her heart .

“It appears that Jain stole them . ”

—Ah, Jain? Again?

“Again? I can’t believe this . ”

So this wasn’t the first time Jain had done something like this .

‘Why didn’t I notice before?’ Boss wondered . Soon enough, she realized that Jain must have used her ability to disguise as herself .

“Jain…” Boss muttered to herself, “How dare you insult me, your boss?”

Boss clenched her fists .

—Boss?

“I’m hanging up . ”

As soon as she hung up, Boss called Jain .

Her hands were shaking with rage, but she tried to remain calm . She knew that even the slightest hint of anger would be enough to drive Jain away .

—Hey, Boss~ What’s up~?

Jain picked up right away, thankfully .

“Jain, where are… Kuhum . ”

Boss gulped nervously and put on a smile .

She felt the need to feign kindness in order to lure Jain in .

“Where are you~?”

—…Huh?

Jain had never seen Boss smile and speak so warmly .

Slightly bewildered, Jain began to stutter .

—Um… . I’m at Paris for a party . Why did you call me?

“Ah, nothing~ I was just wondering~ When are you coming home~?”

—…

But Jain felt wary of Boss’s overly friendly demeanor . It was just as the old saying goes, “too much water drowned the miller . ”

From the other side of the smartwatch, Jain asked carefully .

—Boss…, did you, um… by any chance… find out…?

**

Under the night sky lit with a full moon, Yoo Yeonha left her mansion, concealing herself under a robe and a mask . Only two people were allowed to accompany her on this top secret mission: her secretary ‘Jin Sechan’ and Master-rank Hero ‘Jin Seyeon’ . The two had already arrived in Pandemonium and just now sent her a message saying that they found a place to stay .

Yoo Yeonha once again scrutinized the most crucial piece of information before departing for good .

===

《Dimensional Entropy》

—★★★x300000000!! The most important item right now .

—A source of unknown energy . Buried somewhere in Pandemonium’s lawless zone .

—Rumor has it that the Djinns and demons are fighting over it .

===

This was her first and foremost goal .

The name ‘Dimensional Entropy’ was only temporary, because no one knew for sure whether this item was an ore or something entirely different .

But she knew for sure that it was the source of energy that spanned the entire globe .

Therefore, she couldn’t risk having it fall into the hands of the Djinns or other entrepreneurs . Yoo Yeonha believed that only she, the Queen of Seoul, could handle an item of such importance .

“With this, I’ll have the entire world in the palm of my hand . ”

Yoo Yeonha clenched her fist . It was then, a man appeared from the shadow of the garden . It was, of course, Kim Hajin .

Yoo Yeonha crossed her arms and said, “You’re here . ”

“Yeah . Where’s the Dwarven Supercar?”

“Wait a second . ”

Yoo Yeonha approached the pond at the corner of the garden . The water was crystal clear and carp were happily swimming inside it . However, when Yoo Yeonha pushed a button on her smartwatch, shooong— a huge platform ascended from the bottom of the pond .

“Woah… . You did a good job hiding it . ”

A Dwarven Supercar, sleek and shiny, was sitting on the platform .

“It’s become my hobby to go out for a ride whenever I’m too stressed . I can’t risk having it stolen . ”

Yoo Yeonha smiled .

“Let’s get going, then . ”

“Right . ”

Kim Hajin sat in the front and Yoo Yeonha sat in the back .

Kim Hajin immediately activated [Random Consolidation System] . Suddenly, something amazing happened . Not only did the vehicle become sturdier and more efficient, but its seats also became wider and cozier .

“…You’re really a man of mystery . ” That was all Yoo Yeonha could say .

“I’m going to drive slowly, so why don’t you take a nap? This will take at least an hour . ”

“I’m not sleepy . More importantly, did you finish reading the Yi Yeonjun files?”

Kim Hajin nodded .

“I did . He’s more dangerous than I thought . ”

Currently, Yoo Jinhyuk was in the process of researching Yi Yeonjun’s past based on Kim Hosup’s reports .

Although much research had yet to be done, what he found so far was enough to prove Yi Yeonjun was evil .

“He is . ”

He had to get what he wanted at all costs .

He and Yoo Yeonha were similar in that sense, but the difference was that Yi Yeonjun cared for neither rationality nor practicality .

He relied only on violence to meet his needs .

“… . Ah, right . ”

Yoo Yeonha casually brought up the subject that had kept her awake for days in regret, the question that she had been wanting to ask him for so long .

“You were lying about ‘Balmung’, right?”

He had to be . How could he recognize ‘Balmung’ so quickly when even professional appraisers couldn’t recognize it?

“No, I wasn’t . ”

But Kim Hajin was unwavering . Yoo Yeonha felt the confidence in his voice . It made her heart heavy .

“…Then give it back . ”

Yoo Yeonha caught Kim Hajin by the sleeve and pulled feebly .

“Give it back . ”

“…Give what back?”

“I was going to give it to Nayun anyway… . ”

“Pft . ”

Though Yoo Yeonha was starting to sound pitiful, Kim Hajin only smiled .

“Okay, how about we make it a lease? I want more shares . ”

“You have plenty already . ”

“No,” Kim Hajin shook his head bitterly and said, “I need a lot more to prepare for the future . ”

**

[Pandemonium — Kazakhstan Lawless Zone]

In the face of the recent monster invasion, most Central Asian countries had declared the dissolution of state . Kazakhstan was one of such countries . Still, its legacy lived on as humanity began to refer to the lawless zone as ‘Kazakhstan’, for that was where it was .

“We’re here . ”

The sky was starting to fade when we arrived at the ‘Kazakhstan Lawless Zone’, which was notorious for its, well, lawlessness .

“…Huh?”

The flight was exactly 1 hour . Before landing, I woke up Yoo Yeonha, who had fallen asleep in the back seat while working . I then put the Dwarven Supercar inside the ‘vehicular spatial pouch’ that Yoo Yeonha had prepared in advance .

“…Are you sure we’re at the lawless zone?”

Yoo Yeonha muttered doubtfully . For a land that was infested with over 3 billion monsters, everything seemed surprisingly peaceful .

“Just because this is the lawless zone doesn’t mean everyone is fighting 24/7 . There are Circles here . ”

“Ah~ I get it . ”

“Because-”

“I researched it in advance . I don’t need your explanation . ”

“…Hm . ”

A Circle referred to a group of Djinns, similar to ‘Satan’s Servants’ . All Djinns living in the lawless zone were a member of a Circle, be it big or small . Things were peaceful right now because there was a balance of power between different Circles . One hasty move could lead to a full-blown war, as insulting a member of a Circle was tantamount to insulting the Circle itself .

“…Huh?”

Suddenly, Yoo Yeonha pointed into the distance .

“Look, over there . Looks like they even sell food here . ”

I turned my gaze to where Yoo Yeonha was pointing .

[Skewered Pork]

A stall was there . It had large chunks of meat placed on wooden skewers for display .

However, as evident from the way Yoo Yeonha was drooling, it was not an ordinary meat . In fact, it was the meat of an intermediate-rank grade-5 monster, [Effellie Boar] . Effellie boars live only in Central Asia, so there was no way to get it in Korea .

“Should we get some?”

“…Well, if you insist . ”

Together we approached the stall . A grim-faced Djinn was roasting the meat .

I asked, “How much?”

The Djinn glanced at me and replied, “300,000 won, or 300 DP . ”

It seemed that in Pandemonium, both won and DP were widely used .

However .

“Fuck that . ”

“…Eh? W-What?”

Yoo Yeonha seemed surprised at my sudden cursing .

I could easily pay 300000 won, of course . But like I said, all Djinns belonged to a Circle . So if I let this one undermine me, the members of the Circle that he belonged to would do the same .

In the society of Djinns, weakness was considered a sin .

“‘Fuck that’?”

The vendor glared at me . Though he appeared quite threatening, he failed to scare me .

“Yeah, fuck that . ”

“Then get lost . ”

“I would, but you haven’t sold me the food yet . ”

“…”

Yoo Yeonha seemed confused .

“What’s wrong with you? I told you we have to be secretive,” she whispered, but I ignored her .

“…Are you gonna pay in DP or won?”

The Djinn finally gave up .

“Won . ”

“70,000 won each . ”

That sounded much more reasonable . Having received a discount, I payed 250000 won for 4 skewers .

…5 minutes later .

“It tastes even more amazing because of the discount . Let’s head over to the hotel now . ”

Nom, nom— We munched on the meat as we walked towards the hotel .

“This place is far more dangerous than you think . Remember to keep your robe on at all times . ”

“Yes, I know . …Ah, there it is . ”

Finally a hotel came into our view .

It was a wooden building that looked more like a pub than a hotel . The name of the hotel was [Djinn Days]— obviously very cheesy .

“Let’s go . ”

“Yeah . ”

We went in .

Kiik—

“Mm?”

“Wow, this is surprising . ”

Our eyes widened the moment we opened the door .

Though the hotel appeared shabby on the outside, the lobby was big and even had a bar . There were lots of customers as well .

“Let’s get going . ”

“Okay . They said room 303… . ”

Yoo Yeonha quickly passed through the lobby . However, just as she was about to set foot on the staircase, I saw a man sitting alone at a corner table . I had no idea why, but he stood out to me .

He had disheveled hair and a bushy beard . Right then, the morning sunlight seeped through the window and shone over the man’s face .

“…!”

Immediately my hair stood on end .

The man leaning against the window—I wasn’t sure if he was drunk or just sleepy—I had seen him before through Spartan’s eyes and also in the composite sketches .

It was Yi Yeonjun .

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