Chapter 137
The moment pain gripped Suhyeok's heart, his eyes opened again.
"Where..."
For some reason, the scenery before him had changed.
Everything was pitch-black.
Dark, murky water reached his ankles, and unidentified bones were scattered everywhere.
A memory suddenly surfaced.
If Suhyeok hadn't seen incorrectly, the message from earlier had clearly said that the Demon God had awakened.
Then this place had to be Suhyeok's inner world.
In other words...
The place where the Demon God resided.
A long corridor stretched ahead.
At the very end stood an enormous door.
Judging by the aura leaking from beyond it...
The Demon God was almost certainly there.
"Still..."
Suhyeok checked his arms and the rest of his body.
The body that had been on the verge of collapse was completely restored.
The pain that had constricted his heart and felt as though his limbs were being torn away was gone too.
Ding!
[This is your inner world.]
[Due to the influence of the Demon God, time outside temporarily stops.]
[Connection with the Constellations and Mid-Level Administrator Shaka has been severed.]
As expected.
This really was his inner world.
...I never saw this outcome in the Simulation.
There wasn't even an option like this.
Wasn't Simulation supposed to present futures that would definitely happen?
There were two possibilities.
Either the Demon God possessed the ability to deviate from a predetermined future...
Or this situation itself had been beyond the Simulation's predictions.
Step. Step.
Suhyeok walked toward the door at the end of the corridor.
With every step...
The presence beyond it became clearer.
This was the first time he had ever encountered the Demon God, even though he'd already obtained the Heavenly Demon Divine Art before his regression.
Even Cheon Soyeon, his master, had never mentioned anything like this.
What was different between then and now?
Why had it only awakened now?
There was one obvious difference.
Rank.
[You have arrived before the ‘Demon God's Hall’.]
A palm-shaped engraving was carved into the wall beside the door.
At a glance, it was obvious that placing his hand there would open it.
Suhyeok slowly pressed his palm against it.
He flinched.
Rank began flowing through his hand and into the door.
It felt as though a glass bottle filled with water had suddenly been drained of more than half its contents.
The door continued absorbing it for quite some time.
Then, eventually...
It stopped.
Creeeeak.
The door opened.
Beyond it...
The atmosphere resembled the Myriad Demon Hall where Suhyeok had first met the Cult Leader on the 50th floor.
[Ah.]
[Can you hear me?]
"...!"
The voice was strangely familiar.
Because it was his own.
Suhyeok turned toward the source.
Mountains of skulls were piled before him.
And atop them stood a throne.
Someone sat there casually, looking down at him.
It was Suhyeok.
No.
More precisely...
Something wearing Suhyeok's face.
...So that's the Demon God.
[Since you opened the door yourself and walked in, your body probably hasn't broken down.]
[And since you're looking directly at me, I suppose you can hear my voice too.]
The figure rested his chin on one hand and spoke indifferently.
Even simply facing him...
Suhyeok felt demonic energy unlike anything he'd experienced before.
It was vast enough to overwhelm even him.
[Master.]
[Please withdraw your aura for a moment.]
[He seems somewhat startled by the power you're releasing.]
[Is that so?]
[Then I suppose I should.]
The moment the words ended...
The demonic energy vanished.
So did the pressure crushing Suhyeok's body.
But that wasn't what surprised him most.
Standing beside the Demon God...
Was Seong-a.
Her usual bright, childish atmosphere was gone.
She felt completely different.
Ding!
[Trait Plunder is unavailable for this target.]
[Warning! The target possesses Rank vastly superior to your own.]
"Keugh..."
A sharp headache struck hard enough to make Suhyeok stagger.
That meant the Demon God possessed Rank comparable to high-level Constellations.
And Seong-a was the same.
In other words...
Both beings before him currently stood on a higher level of existence than Suhyeok.
[I should tear you apart for daring to covet what belongs to me.]
The Demon God smiled and stroked his chin.
[But I'll let it pass.]
[Your courage is entertaining.]
He continued casually.
[This is my first time communicating directly with a human.]
[I've been asleep all this time.]
[The problem is...]
[Even after waking up, I can't leave this place.]
Then he looked directly at Suhyeok.
[You're probably wondering why I suddenly awakened and appeared before you.]
[To put it simply...]
[You've gained the qualification.]
"...Qualification?"
[As you know, simply possessing the Heavenly Demon Divine Art does not mean I will dwell within you.]
[That Skill only creates the basic vessel capable of containing me.]
The Demon God grinned and pointed at Suhyeok.
[In other words...]
[Your body has become qualified to receive me.]
[Consider it an honor.]
It sounded like he was offering Suhyeok great power.
But the real meaning was obvious.
He intended to take Suhyeok's body.
[More importantly...]
[I've watched all the memories inside you while I slept.]
[I knew you weren't an ordinary human, but I didn't expect this.]
[To think the System itself had already marked this body for its own.]
[That sly bastard.]
Suhyeok's eyes narrowed.
"You know about the System?"
The Demon God snorted as though the question itself were ridiculous.
[Kuhahaha!]
[Of course I do.]
[That bastard and I are practically brothers born from the same origin.]
[If we're being technical, it was born first.]
[That would make it the elder brother.]
He scoffed.
[Not that I acknowledge it.]
Suhyeok's thoughts moved quickly.
The Demon God wanted something from him.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have brought him here.
And if it was something akin to the System's brother...
Then it had to know information about the System.
This was a rare opportunity.
"...Then what did you mean when you said it had marked me?"
[Exactly what I said.]
[Just like me...]
[It has chosen you as its vessel.]
[It probably hasn't been able to recover from its injuries either.]
Injuries?
The Demon God closed his eyes for a moment and sensed something.
[Hmm.]
[So this is how weak its aura has become.]
[It's barely keeping itself alive.]
[And on top of that....]
His eyes opened.
A mad grin stretched across his face.
[Kuhuhuhu.]
[So it really used that ability in the end!]
[And you were the one it chose!]
[Kuhahahaha!]
[What a fool.]
