Chapter 383

Chapter 383
## Chapter 383

Demons (1)

Hubert knit his brows.

The person standing before him looked like an ordinary young guy, possessing dark hair and dark eyes.

Yet, a pair of horns growing from the sides of his skull and an incredibly pale, nearly violet complexion made it clear he was far from human.

‘A demon?’

A resident of the ‘Demon World’, a parallel realm linked to Auterica, much like the Spirit World or the nethermost abyss.

Naturally, he was well aware of such beings.

Siana, who served as a high-ranking commander within the Immortal Army, was herself a succubus hailing from that very Demon World.

‘The real puzzle is… why has he shown up here?’

-A demon whose faction remains unidentified. Currently thrilled by the discovery of unfamiliar items.

-Key Traits: Immense magical capacity.

-Trustworthiness: ???

Although he had succeeded in deploying 「Analysis」, the data he managed to extract was scarce.

The entity standing before him possessed immense power, and it would be foolish to expect a comprehensive breakdown after a mere brief exchange.

Even so, the effort wasn’t entirely fruitless.

‘Thrilled by the discovery of unfamiliar items… ’

That brief phrase carried significant weight.

When weighed against how the visitor had acted and spoken moments before, the highest probability pointed toward—.

“…What exactly did you just pull?”

While Hubert was frantically sorting through these concepts, trying to make sense of the situation,

…the demon, maintaining his invisibility, spoke up with a voice dripping with irritation.

‘…He picked up on it.’

Despite using 「Limit Break」 to boost the potency of 「Analysis」 and suppress any telltale magical ripples, it appeared that wasn’t quite enough to completely deceive a transcendent entity.

However, having already formed a solid guess regarding the stranger’s nature, Hubert spoke in an easygoing manner before the entity could take action.

“I was merely taking basic safety measures. It isn’t every day an unidentified visitor slips into my personal workspace without an invite.”

He offered a casual shrug, acting as though this was the most logical reaction possible.

The demon appeared slightly stunned by such an unbothered attitude, yet Hubert kept his cool, his features remaining perfectly composed and his eyes fixed forward.

It was an incredibly hazardous gamble, given that the creature could snap his life away in an instant… but he wasn’t acting blindly.

‘Furthermore, I doubt he intends to strike me down. Naturally, a risk always exists… but still… ’

Should things take a turn for the worse, the attacker would face severe consequences.

His… older siblings would hardly sit idly by if their youngest brother came to harm.

A similar situation had unfolded once in the past.

“…Very well. I shall overlook it this single time, given that you were… startled. Do not expect a second pass.”

To his relief, the demon chose not to pursue the matter further.

It was highly probable the entity felt entirely certain that Hubert lacked the means to pierce his shroud, regardless of what methods were deployed.

“Moving on, you still haven’t provided an answer to my query.”

“Denying it would serve no purpose. You are already fully aware.”

“What are you implying?”

“I originate from Earth.”

He could have easily fabricated an explanation, but there was zero utility in doing so.

In the end, choosing this path meant—.

“It appears you also hail from Earth. Shall we… introduce ourselves properly? Finding each other in a place like this is quite a twist of fate, fellow Earthlings.”

…the interaction could advance without unnecessary friction.

“Is that so? Do you possess no fear of death? You maintain remarkable composure for someone whose spine I could sever before you even find a way back to Earth.”

“You materialized here because there is something you require from me, is that not correct? You clearly had no intention of keeping your presence a secret indefinitely.”

Hubert rose from his seat, keeping his tone perfectly balanced and steady,

…and proceeded to arrange a variety of goods across the massive meeting table situated in the center of the space, pulling them directly from his personal subspace storage.

“…What is the meaning of this?”

Sodas, sparkling waters, ales, fried chicken, pizzas, platters of sushi, assorted pastries…

An absolute bounty, a collection of Earth’s finest culinary comforts, materialized across the surface.

“We can converse while sharing a meal. Given your overwhelming strength, checking for toxins would be redundant anyway.”

He made a point of exhibiting his capabilities, showcasing his unique talent.

It was precisely through this specific gift that he had achieved such great heights. He possessed no martial might to threaten the being.

Gulp—

He detected the sound of the demon clearing his throat in anticipation as the rich scents of freshly prepared dishes drifted through the air.

His visitor, who had been so intent on keeping his presence hidden from the world, had finally shown a crack in his facade. It served as proof that his defenses were slipping.

‘There’s no telling exactly how long he has been lurking around… ’

Yet the moment word got out regarding the availability of authentic Earth goods, he had sought him out immediately.

He had to be deeply… homesick.

Thanks to his interactions with Siana, he was well aware that demons, much like mortals, derived great pleasure from eating.

While they were capable of sustaining themselves purely on ambient mana, she had always proven to be quite the… epicurean.

And for an individual raised on Earth, accustomed to artificial flavor enhancers and complex seasonings…

“Please, help yourself. I have an endless supply where that came from.”

Hubert, adopting his persona as a calculating merchant, offered a welcoming grin while motioning toward the spread before them.

‘…The Demon World, its inhabitants, and a manifested Awakened from Earth. In what manner can I turn this to my advantage…?’

His eyelids drooped slightly, masking the intense scheming happening behind his eyes.

—

While the dark clouds of an impending conflict loomed heavily over Auterica,

…the high-ranking officers of the Immortal Army were equally consumed by their own operational duties.

[“This… brings the campaign in the Rohan Duchy to a close… I appreciate your dedicated efforts…”]

[“The containment of beasts and the manufacturing of the walking dead within the peaks are advancing without issue. We stand prepared to strike the central landmass at a moment’s notice, merely awaiting our Sovereign’s decree.”]

[“Heh heh— Furthermore, we can utilize Cain Castle within the borders of the Charoti Kingdom, which recently fell into our hands, as a forward base. It will serve perfectly to split the focus of the human armies.”]

Their forces were actively hunting wild beasts to swell their ranks, anchoring their grip on the territory of the former Rohan Duchy to forge a reliable logistical corridor connecting the peaks to the Empire, and orchestrating unpredictable raids to spread panic among the mortal populations.

Though they had sustained some losses, the Immortal Army no longer displayed the hesitation and lack of coordination that characterized the period immediately following the Immortal King’s revival.

‘I remain puzzled as to why he adopted such a… detached stance during those early days… yet it is not my place to dispute the Sovereign’s path. He undoubtedly operates with a grand design.’

Meanwhile, Siana, the succubus, remained utterly swamped with her own administrative burdens.

Operating as the chief supervisor of internal affairs within the Immortal Fortress, her duties included overseeing mortal turncoats, such as the practitioners of dark magic, keeping tabs on the confined Crown Prince, and simultaneously running espionage networks while masquerading as a noblewoman within the Azerion Empire.

While her web of informants couldn’t quite match the sheer scale of Olivia’s, the mortal factions found themselves highly vulnerable to her phantom undead, making it exceedingly difficult for them to intercept top-tier intelligence.

From that perspective, the data Siana managed to aggregate carried immense weight.

“Phew, the most pressing obligations are finally settled. Now, it is time to go… break Simon’s spirit a bit…”

-“Siana? Do you have a moment to speak?”

Right at that moment, an incoming transmission from a realm she had nearly pushed to the back of her mind,

…connected to her.

-“Sister Sela? What is the matter? This comes entirely out of nowhere.”

A magical connection originating straight from the Demon World, her ancestral home.

Bridging the gap between completely different dimensions was no simple feat.

Under normal circumstances, they arranged strict timetables for contact, employing elaborate magic circles and rituals to keep the expenditure of resources as low as possible…

‘…Only a handful of months have passed since our previous session. Our next mandatory check-in isn’t slated for another five years… Something major must have transpired.’

They would never initiate contact through such extreme means unless a dire crisis was unfolding.

-“Well… the state of affairs on our side has grown incredibly grim. How do matters stand in your region? You previously mentioned embedding yourself within the Immortal Army to gather intelligence. Have you made any headway?”

Siana flashed a strained, nervous grin at her sibling’s inquiry, detecting the faint trace of hope buried in her words.

How could she possibly reveal the actual state of things?

That her allegiance wasn’t a choice, that she had been utterly overpowered by the Immortal King and bound to his service, and that all her grand talk about collecting data had been nothing more than… a convenient cover story?

-“Ah, nothing definitive just yet. The entire faction is fully immersed in mobilizing for a massive war…”

-“*Sigh*… I see. To be fair, it was always a long-shot assignment to begin with. Still, if you happen to cross paths with any traces of the Demon King, or even the condensed core of the Succubus Queen, it would alter our fortunes drastically.”

-“That is certainly true…”

That comprised her true objective.

To scour the land for any surviving pieces of the ancient Demon King who had struck this realm in an age long past, or the legacy core of the Succubus Queen, who had served as one of his premium generals.

However, that particular military campaign had taken place over ten centuries ago, predating even the emergence of the initial Immortal King, rendering the prospects of discovery nearly nonexistent.

She would naturally register the resonance of such monumental relics if they were anywhere close… but items of such catastrophic power wouldn’t simply be left out in the open.

‘They are almost certainly locked away deep within places like the sacred grounds of the Main God Church, the high-security vaults of the empire, or the nesting grounds of a dragon.’

Her household had never genuinely anticipated her bringing home a victory.

It functioned far more as a… desperate contingency plan, a final roll of the dice to preserve their ancestral lineage in the event that the remaining survivors back in the Demon World were wiped out.

‘At one point, I genuinely believed an opportunity might present itself… ’

The Second Immortal King had thrown the entire realm into complete disarray, and the dragons, who represented a massive threat, had been virtually wiped from existence.

She had persisted in her covert investigations even after that particular dark monarch met his downfall.

Yet, coming to terms with the constraints of operating completely isolated, she had wormed her way into the high society of the Azerion Empire—the dominant power on the landmass—securing a title, before subsequently aligning herself with the Heaven’s Turn Society, a massive underworld syndicate, climbing the ranks until she sat as one of its top directors.

‘And look where things stand now… ’

Centuries had slipped away since she first turned her back on the Demon World.

Despite all that time, she had come up completely empty-handed.

And this marked the absolute first instance of her receiving a message packed with such raw panic.

-“Has the crisis truly deepened to that extent? If I recall correctly, you suggested we would remain secure for at least another century?”

-“That was my initial assessment as well…”

Her sister’s voice lost its firmness, replaced by a wave of profound doubt.

-“The geopolitical landscape has fractured completely. An unpredictable element has disrupted everything. Something akin to…”

Her words seemed to falter, lacking any real certainty.

It pointed toward an incredibly grave development.

-”…the direct hand of a deity.”

—

Hubert, idly rubbing at his chin as he pondered, observed the youthful figure lounging across from him, thoroughly engrossed in his feast.

“Wow— This is absolutely incredible. It has been a lifetime since I last tasted genuine cola.”

The transmigrated individual, who had identified himself by the name ‘Miyamoto Ken’ from the nation of Japan, downed the remainder of his carbonated beverage and smacked his lips in satisfaction.

A full two hours had slipped by since his sudden arrival.

While he wasn’t consuming the items with frantic speed, the initial spread of dishes had been entirely cleared out long ago, and the subsequent replacement platters were already nearing empty.

“Let’s see… where was I in my explanation?”

“You were detailing the ongoing conflict within the Demon World. How the geopolitical scales have tilted drastically following centuries of non-stop warfare.”

“Ah, right. Let me organize my thoughts…”

His emotional state had taken a massive turn for the better, driven entirely by the nostalgic Earth cooking, and he was addressing Hubert’s inquiries without any signs of holding back, visibly basking in the moment.

It was entirely possible he was just thrilled to converse with a fellow native of Earth, or perhaps he viewed it as a way to… settle the bill for his food.

‘Or it could simply be that he is an… oddball.’

Inhabitants of the dark realms, being entities forged from malevolent mana, rarely exhibited such a… tranquil disposition.

Even if they appeared completely benign in the present moment, their temperaments could turn lethal without a second’s notice.

Leveraging his deep expertise as a master trader, Hubert smoothly funneled information out of him, steering completely clear of any subjects that might provoke an aggressive reaction.

The man had once operated as a pinnacle-tier soldier of fortune, going by the moniker ‘Ken of the Gale’, and had been dropped into the Demon World after taking on a contract to wipe out a fanatical demonic sect.

The entire setup had been a deception, a meticulously mapped-out ambush designed to corner him and transform his body into an offering.

‘He explained that his stock of Karma currency had been entirely depleted, leaving him unable to buy a ticket home, which forced him to submit to the demonic transformation process to survive transport to the Demon World.’

Regrettably, a critical failure occurred mid-way through the transformation, and by the time he woke up, every single one of his traits as an Awakened had vanished, leaving him stranded deep within the dark realm.

He had been transformed into a settler entirely against his own desires.

‘…Does that transition share properties with turning into a member of the walking dead?’

Reanimated corpses were viewed as entirely distinct lifeforms from their former living personas, stripped entirely of their status as an Awakened.

Even in cases where they held onto their past recollections, they were functionally recreated as completely separate entities.

‘…Something doesn’t add up here.’

A distinct sense of… wrongness hung over the narrative.

Earth was hardly lacking in malevolent individuals who could undergo a flawless demonic transformation.

‘Could it be that the demonic transformation mechanics native to Auterica function on a different logic?’

Hans, operating as the supreme authority on the laws of life and death, began dissecting the core concepts.

Utilizing 「Forbidden Truths」 in perfect harmony with 「Unholy Sage」 and 「Path of Magic」, he rapidly processed and verified the data against his existing knowledge base.

‘…Negative, the structural foundation of the ceremony is identical. There is an entirely separate variable responsible for the erasure of his gifts.’

His deep-seated awareness flared up, delivering an icy wave of foreboding.

This was a development he absolutely could not brush aside.

‘The dark realm, its inhabitants, the process of transformation, the Awakened, the stranded settlers… ’

His mind churned at hyper-speed, throwing out a dozen different scenarios, yet he lacked the fundamental data points to reach a conclusion.

He required additional puzzle pieces…

Right at that moment,

Hubert’s chin snapped up, his eyelids parting slightly in surprise.

Slowly, a visible grin began to reshape his features.

‘…Talk about a perfect alignment of events.’

It felt almost orchestrated by higher powers.

The subsequent threshold for 「Unique Skill Enhancement」 had finally cleared its lock.