533. Guardian of the Netherworld

[??? - Lvl. ???]

“My name is Belphegor, and I am the Guardian of the Netherworld. Now tell me— why are you destroying my [Gargoyles]?”

I stared at this towering Demon. He wasn’t the largest Demon I had ever seen— he was only seven feet tall, but his back was hunched. If he stood up straight, he’d be at least ten feet tall. Maybe more.

But his arms were scrawny. He wasn’t built like a twig, but in proportion to his size, he was rather thin. His body almost seemed to shrivel up into itself as he gazed at me curiously with a pair of hollow eyes. And they were hollow. They weren’t black or gray or silver— it was like his eye sockets were empty. A black void that reflected no light. A darkness that consumed everything, including me.

I blinked, breaking free from his gaze a moment later. The Demon tilted his head at me with a quizzical look. He wasn’t suspicious, nor was he angry that I supposedly killed his [Gargoyles]. He just seemed confused. It was a gaze filled with a childlike innocence that reminded me of Rachel or my children.

I stared at him for a moment, before scratching the back of my head.

“Um… I killed them because they were attacking me?”

Belphegor paused. He tilted his head back as he stroked a hand through his beard. I hesitated. I wasn’t sure if it was a good answer. But he just nodded slowly.

“Yes, yes, yes. That is indeed a good reason to destroy them. Attack you. Yes, yes. I can see why you’d do that.”

He muttered to himself as I pursed my lips. I looked to his left arm. He was being burnt my Grand Skill. [My Flames Shall Burnt Until Eternity Ends] no longer just gave me an aura of protection. It literally lit everything it came into contact with ablaze. Not a weaker fire, either. I stared at the burning remains of the [Gargoyles] I had just crushed.

The heat from my Grand Skill’s flames were intense. They incinerated the stone-like remains of the Primeval Demon until there was nothing left. But Belphegor?

He barely reacted even as his leathery skin burned.

“You’re, um, on fire, by the way.”

“I am? Oh, I am.”

He blinked a few times, looking down at his left arm as he yanked me forward. I grimaced as I staggered. I weakly tried to pull back, but he was far too strong. Belphegor just continued holding onto me as he patted at the gray flames, extinguishing them, only for his arm to combust once more.

“This is… hot. Very hot. Hot, indeed. Why isn’t it going away?”

“Because you’re holding onto me?”

I answered as I tugged back hard. Belphegor didn’t budge. He nodded at me.

“I see. I see.”

“Um, can you please let go of my hand?”

“Oh, I see.”

He repeated himself as he finally loosened his grip. I sighed in relief, stumbling back. Only for a nearby [Gargoyle] to pounce at me from behind. Its claws struck my aura of invulnerability as I frowned.

“Hey!”

I protested, turning to Belphegor.

“Your [Gargoyles] are attacking me again!”

I kicked the statue-like Primeval Demon back, but a second and third flanked me from behind. I stood there as their attacks failed to hurt me. But even more of them charged my way, and I pointed accusingly at Belphegor.

“Are you going to do something about this?”

“Oh, they are still attacking you.”

He stared at me blankly as another pair of [Gargoyles] pummeled at my back. I swung my Divine Nebular Scythe, at one of the injured Primeval Demons, slowly whittling it down until it fully shattered. A notification resounded in my head, and I exclaimed.

“Stop them!”

I faced Belphegor. He blinked, snapping out of his stupor. He scrunched up his forehead before nodding.

“I should do that, shouldn’t I? Yes, I should.”

I just bit my lower lip as he raised a hand. Belphegor pointed at the snapping [Gargoyles], and he spoke a single word.

“Stop.”

His voice reverberated throughout the room as I reeled. The room shook. The Primeval Demons froze. I stumbled back as if an invisible force had struck me. But it didn’t hurt. It was just a blast of power.

My eyes grew wide as I looked at Belphegor. He cocked his head at me, giving me a smile.

“There. Is that better now? Or are my [Gargoyles] still bothering you?”

“I, um, that’s—”

I tried to work my jaw, then I shook my head. I lowered my hand.

“Thank you…?”

I stared at Belphegor as he just drew back, waiting for me expectantly. He nodded at me, before turning around. And I just watched him go.

—--

Belphegor strutted forward, leaving behind the Lair as he slowly ascended the tunnel. I followed him apprehensively. I wasn’t sure if I should say anything. I wasn’t even sure if I should be trailing after him. But he was the first actual person I encountered since arriving in the Netherworld again. And he did save me… kinda.

He was eccentric. An oddball. He certainly didn’t act like any Human I had met while in the Mortal Realm. But I realized— he wasn’t a Human. This wasn’t the Human Lands. This was literally the Netherworld.

This was a world of Demons.

So I pressed forward. Sure, Belphegor was acting weird. But he was a Demon— there was no reason for him to act like any mortal I knew because he wasn’t a mortal.

He wasn’t a wild Demon, so I didn’t need to be that wary of him. He also didn’t have any collar or whatever, which meant he wasn’t with the Demon King.

I finally mustered up the courage to saunter up next to him and speak up.

“So, um, Belphegor, right?”

I spoke, and he craned his neck to face me. He walked sluggishly. He lazily looked my way and slowed to a halt.

“Indeed, that is my name. Indeed. What is it you need?”

I waited, shifting my feet uncomfortably. Belphegor was slow! Even the way he spoke was slow. He peered at me, and I shrugged.

“Um… is this place your Lair?”

I asked as he blinked. He drew back as I tapped my feet a little bit impatiently. He shook his head.

“In a sense, you can say this is my Lair. But in another sense, I do not believe this is my Lair.”

“Then what is it, then?”

I crossed my arms. Belphegor tapped a finger on his chin. He didn’t say anything as his fingers heavily beat against his leathery skin. I just pressed my lips into a thin line.

And Belphegor made a sound.

“Ah. This place… it is not my Lair. It is my tomb.”

He spoke simply, but his words made me freeze. It sent a chill down my back as I stared at him for a moment. I opened my mouth.

“Tomb? But… what do you mean by that? Why is this your tomb— hey, wait!”

I called out, but Belphegor was already strolling back up the corridor. He glanced back at me briefly as I called out to him. But he didn’t stop. He continued walking onwards as I hurried after him.

“Why can’t you just leave this place? What makes you the Guardian of the Netherworld?”

Honestly, I was glad I could walk and talk with Belphegor. He was barely even walking as fast as I could crawl. He kept his gaze on me as we turned a corner.

“Leave this place? No— I can’t do that. It would be ridiculous. Leaving my tomb? I cannot—”

Thud! I watched as Belphegor walked straight into the rock wall. He paused mid-conversation, rotating his head to face what he had bumped into. He blinked in confusion as I sighed.

“Why not?”

I rolled my eyes. But Belphegor didn’t give an immediate response. Of course not. He was very slow. I raised a hand and poked his side.

“Hey, I said—”

And Belphagor snapped his gaze towards me. He caught my hand, even as his skin burned once more. His grip tightened as the aura of invulnerability flashed— then began to tear.

“Do not touch me.”

My eyes went round as I stared up at him. Belphagor’s back straightened, and he loomed over me. I saw the darkness in his eyes flicker for a moment as I backed away. He let go of my hand, his gaze still fixed on me.

“I— ok! Sorry! I did not mean to touch you!”

I looked down at my hand, looking at his grip marks. He had… broken through my Grand Skill. Somehow, just through sheer strength alone, he had overpowered the aura of invulnerability, nearly crushing my hand.

I glanced back up at Belphegor as his back hunched once more. But he spoke as his gaze continued boring into me.

“You ask many questions. Now let me ask my own.”

He walked straight up towards me as I felt a prickle of fear creep up my back. Belphegor twisted his head threateningly as I scratched my cheek.

“Um, what is it?”

He spoke simply at that.

“Do you wish to see the Gate of the Netherworld?”