The E-Rank Dungeon in Chuncheon, known among Hunters as a “healing dungeon.”
There were no notable monsters, and you could gather medicinal herbs beneficial to the body, hence the nickname.
But when the dungeon’s hidden stage opened, the feeling became completely different.
A dungeon where you could heal became a hell where you could die.
‘So this is the Demon Realm.’
The Demon Realm’s Returnee, Kang Minseok, had said so himself.
He said this was the very Demon Realm where he’d lived for over a hundred years.
(Demon Realm’s Returnee): I’m certain, because this sight is so familiar.
Kang Minseok recalled his past.
From S-Rank Hunter on Earth to Demon Realm’s Returnee—such was his history.
(Demon Realm’s Returnee): I mentioned it briefly before, but the Demon Realm used to be a true lawless zone. It was literally hell.
And Kang Minseok changed that hell.
Starting from the lowest demons, he slowly climbed up to the Demon King at the pinnacle of the Demon Realm and changed everything from the ground up.
(Demon Realm’s Returnee): It was a crude method. I established schools in the Demon Realm to educate the demons. I started teaching them to suppress their instincts to tear apart anything they saw.
And he also showed what it meant to be a Demon King.
Demons who broke the law and harmed others were killed without hesitation.
(Demon Realm’s Returnee): Some demons responded to this method, but demons are monsters with intelligence, right? In the end, they’re beasts driven by instinct.
So now that he was gone, Kang Minseok figured the Demon Realm must have returned to its lawless ways.
(Demon Realm’s Returnee): Demons are strong. Even those who received education—no matter how much they dislike each other—can still act collectively. It won’t be easy.
The hidden stage was originally supposed to open by entering a new room and facing a gatekeeper.
But this time, hadn’t the hidden stage opened in a way no one had ever seen before?
(Anonymous 1): We didn’t do anything in particular, but the entire inside of the dungeon changed.
So there’s no gatekeeper in this hidden stage.
It opened when the dungeon became the Demon Realm.
(Demon Realm’s Returnee): I’m guessing this hidden stage will have us fighting the demons of the Demon Realm.
That was Kang Minseok’s guess.
Ding―!
Just then, a quest notification arrived.
[You have entered the Hidden Stage!]
[A Hidden Quest has arrived!]
[Hidden Quest]
— Description: Save the Demon Realm.
— Reward: ???
— Special Note: Your appearance has changed into that of the Demon Realm’s Returnee. Demons in the Demon Realm will mistake you for the Demon Realm’s Returnee, Kang Minseok, whenever they see you.
This time, the reward was undisclosed again.
Now, mysterious rewards were no longer surprising.
The better the reward, the less likely it was to be revealed in advance.
But what everyone found strange was the content of the quest.
‘Save the Demon Realm?’
He had thought the quest would simply have them fight the Demon Realm’s demons, but instead, it bluntly said to save the place.
And the second odd part.
‘I’m in the form of the Demon Realm’s Returnee, Kang Minseok?’
Fwoosh—!
Boom—!
With a popping sound, smoke billowed out.
After the smoke faded, Jinwoo looked at his system window.
(Anonymous 1): …What the?
‘What the?’
His form had transformed into a demon with two large horns.
To be exact, the form of the Demon King.
(Demon Realm’s Returnee): …That’s right. This is how I looked in the Demon Realm. No doubt about it.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): That demon form looks damn scary.
(Endless Waiting): …That’s pretty intense.
(Liberated Swordsman): Damn, that’s disgusting.
(Demon Realm’s Returnee): …Isn’t calling it disgusting a bit much?
(Anonymous 1): Kang Minseok, you understand, right? You know Evan’s story.
Liberated Swordsman, Evan, was a Constellation who had lost everything to demons.
Kang Minseok, who knew that story in rough detail, didn’t type anything further in the chat.
(Father of Crops): It must be tough to farm in the Demon Realm.
(Last Blacksmith): …Father of Crops, you’re insane. Even I can’t understand that level of madness.
Even here in the Demon Realm, Father of Crops was obsessed with farming.
Now, even the Constellations had decided to acknowledge his madness.
No, they had no choice but to.
After all, it’s said you shouldn’t mess with a madman.
*****
I scanned my surroundings.
I was looking for Byeolyi and the spirits, whom I’d left protected with Water Shield.
Come to think of it, Eric, who always stayed near me, was gone too.
‘Where did everyone go?’
In this Demon Realm, where a chilling atmosphere and the stench of blood spread, those who had been with me were now gone.
Anyone who hasn’t experienced this can’t know just how terrifying it is.
I sent Eric a request for a joint broadcast.
‘Please answer, please.’
I prayed desperately, and with a ping―! the joint broadcast was accepted.
I turned my head to see Eric’s screen.
— My lord, you’re in the Demon Realm, I see.
‘Eric, where are you?’
— As you can see, I’m at the entrance to the dungeon. It seems no one but you can enter the hidden stage. When I came to, I had been bounced out here.
Eric was standing at the dungeon entrance with Byeolyi and the spirits.
I let out a sigh of relief.
That was actually better.
After all, this was the dangerous Demon Realm.
No matter how much stronger Byeolyi was than me, I didn’t want to move together in a place this violent and cruel.
‘I’m glad, Eric. Don’t worry about me, just take good care of Byeolyi and the spirits. I’ll be out soon.’
— No worries about you, my lord. We’ll wait until you return safely.
— Daddy! Fighting!
I heard Byeolyi’s encouragement through the chat window.
It was so uplifting that I chuckled and nodded my head.
Turning off the joint broadcast, I strode out into the Demon Realm.
Since people were waiting outside, I had to finish the quest quickly.
‘Let’s get that reward and get out. I can do this.’
Resolving myself, I stepped onto the blood-soaked ground.
As I walked slowly through the empty space, I saw a village.
(Last Blacksmith): That’s a house made of “Balt.” It’s a mineral known for its strength.
(Demon Realm’s Returnee): That’s right, Balt is common in the Demon Realm. Jinwoo, this is probably the outskirts of the Demon Realm. The farther out you go, the more violent the demons get, so be careful.
‘Understood. But if I get in real danger, you Constellations will help me, right?’
I asked, grinning slyly.
(Demon Realm’s Returnee): I’ll help.
(Endless Waiting): Of course.
(Liberated Swordsman): As much as I can.
(Last Blacksmith): As long as you carry the sword that surpassed my limits, you won’t die, Jinwoo.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): Depends on your performance.
(Anonymous 1): Nope, not helping.
(Father of Crops): Don’t mind what Anonymous says. He’ll help more than anyone if you’re in trouble. Don’t worry.
‘Alright, I believe you.’
Good, I had a whole host of powerful Constellations behind me.
Let’s give this a try.
I slowly walked toward the village.
(Demon Realm’s Returnee): Only your appearance changed, right? I guess you can’t use my demon skills.
‘Seems like it.’
I clicked my tongue in disappointment.
I’d wanted to try out the Demon King’s skills at least once.
(Demon Realm’s Returnee): Still, don’t worry too much. You have my Gravity Imbue. With just that skill, you shouldn’t be in serious danger in the Demon Realm.
That’s right.
I had a skill I’d received as a gift when Kang Minseok first became my viewer.
I hadn’t used it yet, just kept it.
[S-Rank Skill, Gravity Imbue]
— Description: Growth-type skill, exclusive to the Demon Realm’s Returnee Kang Minseok.
— Effect: Can grant gravity to an opponent.
— Current available gravity: 3x.
“…!!”
As soon as I entered the village, what I saw was a fighting arena.
Inside a fence made of the durable mineral Balt, two demons were fighting fiercely, blood spraying everywhere.
Outside the fence, thin demons shook objects that looked like currency and cheered them on.
‘It’s gambling on fights.’
I was witnessing a Demon Realm fight club.
(Demon Realm’s Returnee): The farther out you go, the poorer and more violent the demons get. They vent that violence in fight clubs, and apparently gamble on the results too. Go take a look.
There’s no tone in the chat messages, so it’s hard to sense emotions, but I could tell Kang Minseok was displeased.
Step, step.
Here, I was the Demon Realm’s Returnee, Kang Minseok.
I was the Demon King.
And my mission was a vague one: save the Demon Realm.
Maybe they wanted me to do once more what Kang Minseok did after a long period of struggle.
That made the burden on my shoulders even heavier.
With complex feelings, my heavy steps carried me closer and closer, until I was right in front of the arena fence.
“What are you doing?”
Having communicated with Kang Minseok for a long time, I had a sense of his personality.
I spoke, imagining how he would have responded as the Demon King.
“…!!”
“It—it’s the Demon King!”
“The Demon King has returned!”
The only sounds in the arena had been fists colliding and the excited shouts of the demons watching.
After a long silence, they began to cheer at the Demon King’s return.
A demon who seemed to be the arena owner ran to me and knelt down.
“Greetings, Demon King!”
“Explain what you’re doing here.”
“…I—I’m sorry!”
He first apologized, kneeling down.
(Demon Realm’s Returnee): I thought I’d made it so even the demons in the outskirts could live without lacking anything.
I recited Kang Minseok’s message just as it was.
“After the Demon King disappeared, the Demon Realm fell into chaos.”
Though his body trembled, he answered each question clearly and precisely.
Even though the language was different from Earth’s, a translation skill inscribed in the system was working, so I could understand him.
“There is currently no Demon King in the Demon Realm. The high-ranking demons are waging daily wars for the Demon King’s throne.”
“So a civil war has broken out?”
“Yes, all previously existing laws have long since vanished, education no longer takes place, and earning money through work has become nearly impossible. All that’s left is pillage.”
If you think of them as demons, it’s all perfectly natural.
Life driven by instinct, taking and being taken from, without economic cycles or education—that was my image of a demon.
Surely, that’s how most Demon Realms lived.
‘But the Demon Realm Kang Minseok created is different, I suppose.’
Hadn’t the Demon Realm changed greatly thanks to Kang Minseok?
The demons couldn’t adapt to being back in the original Demon Realm.
“The arena was established by order. It was the order of the demon who rules this village. All economic activity must take place through the arena.”
Unable to adapt to a life of taking and being taken, the demons were struggling.
They had been educated and taught to suppress their instincts and live in harmony.
Someone had opened the arena on purpose, trying to reshape the Demon Realm and become Demon King by winning the war.
(Anonymous 1): If demons regain their instincts and strength through the arena, they’ll grow into useful soldiers for the war.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): So that’s why you have to save the Demon Realm in Kang Minseok’s form.
(Anonymous 1): Yeah, looks like the quest is to turn the Demon Realm back into Kang Minseok’s version, not leave it as the old one.
I nodded.
Now I could understand the system’s quest.
It meant to restore the Demon Realm to a peaceful place.
Turning me into Kang Minseok’s form was so I could continue his legacy.