Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 252: The Demon Realm (1)

Taesan realized why the Demon God had been looking at him with discomfort.

[The power of the Old Gods… It’s deeply unsettling that you’re wielding it, but… I understand. It’s yours now, and not even they can interfere with it anymore.]

The Demon God twisted a strand of her hair around her finger.

[Actually, I should commend you. Thanks to you, one of the Old Gods won’t show up around here for a while. But… this is a different matter.]

Her eyes narrowed.

She scanned Taesan, as if peering into his very soul.

[The gray power—it’s a force that straddles the boundary. Do you understand what that means?]

Taesan shook his head. He knew it could interfere with the power of the Old Gods, but beyond that, he wasn’t sure.

[It’s a power that can distort the laws of the world. It can even reach beyond them. Depending on how you use it, it could either benefit us—or become a threat.]

Taesan frowned at her words.

“Is that so?”

[Being on the boundary means you can tip in either direction. Frankly, I’d like to seal it away… but I suppose you wouldn’t let me, right?]

“I won’t.”

Taesan’s response was sharp and decisive.

The gray power was something even the labyrinth’s system couldn’t fully comprehend. It was a unique and valuable card in his hand, and he had no intention of discarding it just because it was risky.

The Demon God sighed, clearly not entirely serious in her suggestion.

[Well, I’ll respect your decision. Just be careful with it.]

“Can it even be sealed, though?”

[Why not? We’ve exiled the Old Gods—it’s not beyond me. But it would consume a lot of power. Plus, as long as you’re protected by the labyrinth’s system, your consent is required. No other god will be able to seal your power without it, so you don’t need to worry.]

[…]

Varkaza, who had been quietly observing their conversation, was utterly dumbfounded.

As an ancient spirit, Varkaza had witnessed a few incidents involving transcendents. He had some understanding of what they were.

The Demon God before him was such a transcendent—a god. Mortal beings rarely ever had the chance to even glimpse their presence.

A transcendent’s words were absolute to mortals. Whatever they desired would be fulfilled without question.

Mortals’ opinions or circumstances were irrelevant to them. Their will was enforced like a law, sweeping mortals along in its path.

To a transcendent, mortals were mere specks, insignificant and powerless against the tide.

And yet, here and now, the Demon God had yielded to a mortal’s opinion.

What’s more, she had even asked him to be careful, as if making a humble request.

This baffled Varkaza to no end.

Ignoring the confused spirit, the Demon God continued speaking.

[You’ve probably guessed why I’ve come.]

Taesan nodded.

The Demon God had been telling him for a while now—hinting that the time was near. She had mentioned that she would soon grant him something equivalent to intermediate magic.

She opened her mouth.

[I’m going to bestow a new dark magic spell upon you. But, of course, there are conditions. I’ll be giving you a trial.]

“What kind of trial?”

[I’ve been really busy lately. Seriously.]

“Is that so.”

The Demon God used to appear every time Taesan made a tribute. But recently, she had only taken his offerings without showing herself.

It seemed her situation had kept her from appearing.

[The reason I’ve been so busy… is something you’re already aware of.]

“The Old Gods?”

[Yes. They’ve been meddling more than usual lately. I’ve been working hard to keep them at bay. And the trial I’ll give you is related to them as well.]

“Almost every trial I’ve faced lately has involved them.”

The trials from the God of Magic, the Spirit God, and even the Demon God had all been connected to the Old Gods.

[There’s no avoiding it. The more you get involved, the more active they become. It means the power you’ve gained is something they didn’t expect.]

The Demon God stretched out her hand.

The labyrinth shifted, walls retreating into the distance as if pushed away, creating a dark, empty space.

[I am the Demon God—the deity of the demons.]

A black sphere formed above her hand.

It radiated a deep and thick darkness.

[The Demon Realm is the world of the demons. I rule over it… but there are those who defy my will.]

The Demon God’s face twisted in annoyance.

[They are demons who still worship the Old Demon God, the one who was cast out when I became the Demon God. I need you to deal with them.]

—

**[Sub-Quest Initiated]**
**[Demon God: The Demon God, Lucifer, wishes to eliminate the demons in the Demon Realm who continue to worship the Old Demon God.]**

**[Objective: Eliminate those who worship the Old Demon God.]**
**[Reward: Determined by the Demon God based on your performance.]**

—

“The Old Demon God…”

[They were born transcendents, and we now call them Old Gods. The Old Demon God was the same—he was born as a Demon God. Even though he was exiled long ago, there are still those who worship him.]

Reading the quest description, Taesan asked:

“Can’t you handle this yourself, Demon God?”

[Normally, yes. The Old Demon God has lost much of his influence since being cast out. He’s not even truly an Old God anymore, and dealing with his followers wouldn’t be a problem.]

The Demon God gave a bitter smile.

[But there’s a complication. If I or my apostles, who carry my power, clash with those connected to the Old Demon God, it will cause issues.]

“What kind of issues?”

The Demon God pondered briefly, then snapped her fingers.

In an instant, Varkaza and the ghost vanished.

[Don’t be alarmed. I just excluded them temporarily. This isn’t something they need to hear.]

She scratched her cheek awkwardly.

[The Old Demon God was, quite literally, the god of the demons. The entire Demon Realm was shaped by his authority.]

Speaking softly, as if recounting an old tale, she continued.

[The demons wanted to get rid of the tyrannical Old Demon God. So they forced a young, unformed child to become his vessel.]

A young child.

Taesan looked at the Demon God.

Her dark hair and youthful face gave her the appearance of someone not yet fully grown.

[But since the child’s mind wasn’t fully developed, problems arose. She couldn’t completely reject the Old Demon God’s lingering power that spread throughout the Demon Realm. Traces of it still remain. If I interfere directly, part of the Demon Realm will collapse.]

“So that’s where I come in.”

[You’ve never received my direct power, so you’re exempt.]

Though Taesan could use dark magic, he wasn’t an apostle of the Demon God. He was free from the constraints she mentioned.

[It’s funny, really. They overthrew the Old Demon God and made me their new god, but now, after all this time, some of them have turned their backs on me to worship the very god they cast out.]

The Demon God grumbled.

[So, will you accept the task?]

“Yes.”

Taesan nodded.

The Demon God smiled in satisfaction and snapped her fingers again. Varkaza and the ghost reappeared.

[Master…?]

[Next time, could you at least warn us before throwing us out?]

[Too much trouble.]

With a curt response to the ghost’s complaint, the Demon God opened a portal.

A dark, ominous energy wafted from the passage.

[Step through there.]

“Any information?”

He couldn’t walk in blind, not knowing who or what awaited him on the other side.

The Demon God replied.

[There will be someone to assist you beyond the portal. They’ll answer your questions.]

“Understood.”

Taesan stepped into the portal.

The thick darkness carried him across space, transporting him to the Demon Realm.

Thud.

His feet hit solid ground.

The first thing Taesan felt upon entering the Demon Realm was… darkness.

It wasn’t just the absence of light—it was a suffocating, heavy atmosphere that seemed to permeate everything.

The stark contrast to the vibrant and radiant Spirit World was striking.

He looked up. A dark sun, reminiscent of a solar eclipse, hung in the sky.

This was the Demon Realm.

[Being a spirit in the Demon Realm… This must be a first. Sticking with you sure makes life interesting.]

Varkaza chuckled—not in dissatisfaction, but with genuine amusement.

“Varkaza, I’ll need you to stay hidden for now.”

This was the Demon Realm, and it was unclear how its inhabitants would react to a spirit’s presence.

Varkaza nodded in understanding.

[Understood. Call me if a fight breaks out.]

With that, the spirit disappeared.

Taesan surveyed his surroundings.

A small village lay ahead, its architecture resembling that of medieval Earth.

He began walking toward it.

The Demon God had mentioned that there would be someone to assist him.

As he entered the village, demons came into view.

It wasn’t Taesan’s first time encountering demons—he had seen them both in the labyrinth and in Vekeseta.

They looked almost identical to humans, with the only real difference being the aura they emitted.

The villagers noticed Taesan and gave him polite nods.

Taesan returned the gesture.

[They must know you’re not a demon, but they don’t seem hostile. The Demon God must have informed them.]

As he ventured deeper into the village, more demons appeared—most of them elderly.

Even the youngest among them seemed to be well into their seventies by human standards.

“Is this some kind of retirement home? Why would she send me here?”

Muttering to himself, Taesan continued walking toward the center of the village.

It was there that he felt it—a powerful presence.

His expression shifted.

It was quite strong.

Strong enough to achieve meaningful results even within the labyrinth.

And the aura felt… familiar.

Taesan realized who the Demon God’s assistant must be.

“You’re the one she mentioned, huh? You’re much stronger than I expected. Were you… in the labyrinth?”

The approaching demon saw Taesan’s face and froze in surprise.

“…Huh?”

“So this is where you ended up.”

Taesan had fought many demons in the labyrinth.

But the one that stood out the most was Quanid, the demon he encountered on the 40th floor.

Quanid had been strong but reckless. In his desperation, he had entered into an unfair contract with the Guide, binding his soul to Patricia.

Taesan had broken that contract through his spiritual power.

The Demon God had taken Quanid in as he lay dying, his soul freed from its chains.

And now, here Quanid stood, alive and well, before Taesan.

“…Hello?”

Quanid greeted him with a sheepish grin.

“Come to think of it, it makes sense. If the Demon God needed help from an adventurer, it had to be you.”

Quanid scratched his cheek. The injuries Taesan remembered seeing on him were nowhere to be found.

“…Want to come inside?”

Quanid gestured toward a building that resembled a cathedral.

Since standing outside and chatting wasn’t ideal, Taesan nodded and followed him in.

Inside the cathedral, Quanid led him to an office and began preparing tea.

“Now that I think about it, I never properly thanked you back then. Thanks.”

For Quanid, Taesan was a savior.

Bound by Patricia’s contract, his soul would have remained enslaved even in death.

Taesan had freed him from that fate.

“Thanks to you, I’m living here now.”

“Did you give up on the labyrinth?”

“Not exactly… But I did fail once, you know.”

Quanid handed him a cup of tea.

As he said, Quanid had failed. By all rights, he should have died, but he had survived through luck and grace.

“It feels weird to try again. And the Demon God didn’t exactly encourage me to go back. Honestly, living like this isn’t so bad.”

Quanid sipped his tea and continued.

“This village takes care of demons who are too old to live on their own. I’ve been helping out here with a princess. It’s actually pretty fun. And rewarding, too.”

“A princess?”

“Yeah. Not the princess of the Demon Realm, though. She’s from another world. She should be here soon.”

A demon’s image flickered through Taesan’s mind.

The office door swung open.

“Quanid? Is the guest the Demon God mentioned here?”

“Yes, Princess.”

“I told you not to call me that. Hello, I—”

The girl, who had been lowering her head in greeting, froze the moment she saw Taesan.

The ghost let out a low whistle.

[Well, isn’t this interesting. Was this the Demon God’s plan all along?]

Taesan spoke first.

“It’s been a while, Annetsha.”

When Taesan first underwent the Demon God’s trial, he had been sent to a world called Vekeseta.

The quest he received there was to protect a princess of the demons.

The princess of a doomed world—Annetsha.

And now, here she was, standing before him once again.