Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 253: The Demon Realm (2)

“Uh…”

Her long, slightly wavy hair, flowing down to her waist, swayed gently.

Her eyes wandered, unable to settle on anything, darting around in confusion.

Annetsha looked more mature than Taesan remembered.

Not much time had passed, but it seemed as if the experiences she had gone through had made her grow in unexpected ways.

“So… the person the Demon God mentioned was you, Taesan?”

“Oh? You two know each other?”

Quanid asked in surprise. Annetsha, flustered, gave a quick nod.

“Oh-ho, how did you meet? Was it through one of the Demon God’s trials?”

“Quanid… Do you know Taesan too?”

“Yes.”

Quanid confirmed with a nod.

“I told you before, didn’t I? About the person who saved me in the labyrinth. That was Taesan.”

“Ah…”

Annetsha realized how the connection between them fit together. Quanid, on the other hand, was surprised by the coincidence.

“So, Taesan’s the one the princess mentioned? Then…”

“Q-Quanid, quiet, please.”

Annetsha hurriedly cut him off, her expression flustered. She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure.

“It’s been a while, Taesan.”

“Yes, it has.”

“It’s good to see you again.”

Annetsha bowed politely, though her eyes still held a trace of confusion. But within that confusion, there was also joy.

It seemed she had a lot to say to Taesan.

However, she held herself back, swallowing her emotions, and sat down calmly.

“First, let’s exchange some information. You’ve come to the Demon Realm at the Demon God’s request, right?”

Taesan nodded.

“And that request is to deal with those who worship the Old Demon God, correct?”

“You already know?”

“The Demon God appeared in my dream yesterday and told us about it.”

“Yesterday?”

Annetsha confirmed with a nod.

“Yes, yesterday.”

That was before Taesan had even received the quest.

It seemed the Demon God never doubted that Taesan would accept the mission.

“Go on.”

“She told us that an ally would be coming. That’s us.”

Annetsha gestured toward Quanid, who grinned and raised his hand.

“Glad to be working with you.”

Taesan looked Quanid over.

“You… You’ve weakened.”

It was clear from the start. Quanid had once been strong enough to descend past the 50th floor in the labyrinth.

But now, his strength was only comparable to someone on the 20th floor. To an outsider, he might still seem overwhelmingly powerful, but compared to the strength he once possessed, it was a pitiful drop.

“There’s nothing I can do about it. When you broke the contract with Patricia, it caused me to lose a lot of my power. The Demon God said she couldn’t restore it because it was forcibly taken.”

Taesan could understand the reason.

It was *spiritual resonance* that had broken Patricia’s contract.

In other words, Taesan had unintentionally absorbed a portion of Quanid’s power during the process.

The backlash from that incident must have been the cause of Quanid’s diminished strength.

‘I feel a little guilty now.’

To lose the power of the 50th floor and be reduced to the 20th floor—it must have been mentally exhausting.

But Quanid sipped his tea leisurely, showing no signs of bitterness.

“It’s disappointing, sure, but I don’t mind. Living peacefully like this isn’t so bad.”

Upon reflection, Taesan realized that Quanid had always been searching for someone to recognize him. That was why he had fallen into the unreasonable contract with the Guide in the first place.

Now, the Demon God had taken care of him, and he had even met Annetsha. With Annetsha’s kind nature, it was unlikely she treated him poorly.

Since Quanid hadn’t been obsessed with power, it seemed he was satisfied with his current situation.

“Even though I’ve weakened, I’m still strong enough to get by in the Demon Realm. So don’t worry, I’ll manage just fine.”

“What about you, Annetsha?”

“There’s no need to worry about me either.”

Annetsha spoke calmly.

“I’ve felt the weight of my helplessness from back then, and I’ve worked hard to grow stronger. I won’t need your help anymore.”

Indeed, the aura surrounding her was much stronger than when Taesan had last seen her.

While it might be challenging for her to make meaningful progress in the labyrinth, she was now more than capable of protecting herself.

“The ones who worship the Old Demon God… There have been stories about them for a long time.”

Annetsha continued her explanation in a calm, almost story-like tone.

“A long time ago, there was a tyrannical Demon God. Unable to endure his cruelty, a young girl led the demons to overthrow him and took his place, becoming the new Demon God. That’s how the Old Demon God was banished from the Demon Realm. But not all of his followers disappeared. Some still reside in the *Abandoned Lands*, waiting for their master to return.”

“The Abandoned Lands?”

“There are places in the Demon Realm where demons cannot live,” Quanid explained.

“Twisted spaces. Strange, abnormal places. They are sealed-off areas, and that’s where the Old Demon God’s followers are said to dwell.”

Taesan could guess what those places were.

The Demon God had mentioned that she hadn’t been able to completely expel the Old Demon God’s power.

It seemed the *Abandoned Lands* were the remnants of the Old God’s influence.

“So, that’s where we need to go. Where are they?”

“Beyond the Demon King’s castle,” Annetsha answered.

“The Demon King’s castle?”

Taesan’s eyes gleamed with interest. Annetsha gave a small nod.

“Yes, past the castle, at the sealed northern edge. That’s where the Abandoned Lands lie.”

With their destination set, they began to prepare for their journey. Annetsha and Quanid gathered the village elders to offer some words of farewell, while Taesan waited nearby for them to finish.

“The Demon King, huh…” Taesan murmured, a hint of excitement in his voice.

The ghost chimed in.

[They say the Demon King destroyed the spirit realm.]

If the Demon King had the power to wipe out an entire world, he must be extraordinarily powerful.

And this was the heart of the Demon Realm—the home of the demons.

Just how powerful could the Demon King be?

He might even be an Immortal. Meeting a transcendent being like that would be an invaluable experience.

“Ah…”

“Princess…”

“Everyone, I’m sorry, but I must leave now.”

Annetsha apologized to the elderly demons with a regretful expression. The elders shook their heads.

“No need to apologize, Princess. Thanks to your kindness, we’ve been able to live out our days in peace. We’ll be fine without you.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Annetsha clasped her hands together.

A pure black light radiated from her, wrapping around the elders.

“Oh… Ooooh…”

Vitality returned to their faces. Their hunched backs straightened, and a few strands of white hair turned black again.

After exchanging a few more words, Annetsha approached Taesan.

“All done?”

“Yes.”

Annetsha nodded.

“Let’s get moving.”

They boarded a carriage. Unlike ordinary carriages, this one moved by magic rather than horses, so no driver was needed. Annetsha, Quanid, and Taesan sat inside.

“How far is it?” Taesan asked.

“It’ll take about ten *halls*.”

Ten halls—while not an extremely long journey, it was still a considerable distance.

Taesan briefly considered carrying both of them and running the entire way but dismissed the idea.

The Demon God had assigned them as his companions. This trial was probably not meant to be something Taesan handled alone.

After a moment of silence, Annetsha spoke.

“So, Taesan… How have you been since then?”

“I’ve continued my descent through the labyrinth.”

“How far have you reached?”

“The 58th floor.”

“Oh, wow!”

Quanid exclaimed in admiration.

“You’re fast as always.”

The last time Quanid had seen Taesan, he had been on the 40th floor. Now, Taesan had descended 18 floors further.

“At this rate, you’ll soon encounter the upper ranks. Are you ready for that?”

“I’ll manage.”

He was already preparing for it.

“And what about you?”

“Me?”

Annetsha responded calmly to Taesan’s question.

She explained how she had settled in the Demon Realm under the Demon God’s care, though she had struggled to find a purpose.

Everyone she had known was gone. In the end, even those she had trusted betrayed her, and the one person who had protected her to the last had disappeared without a farewell.

She had survived, but her survival felt hollow—none of her hopes or dreams had come to fruition.

It felt like walking endlessly across a barren plain with no destination in sight.

Though the Demon God had looked after her, it was something only she could resolve for herself.

While wandering the Demon Realm, she had come across a village inhabited only by elderly demons, abandoned by the younger generation.

She decided to settle there, helping care for the elders as she sought meaning in her life.

It was during that time that she found Quanid, on the verge of death. She healed him and took care of him.

Once Quanid recovered, he joined her, and together, they rebuilt the village.

“I was living like that when the Demon God gave me an order—to assist the one who would come to deal with those who worship the Old Demon God.”

Taesan chuckled softly.

“I suppose I’ve disrupted your peace.”

But Annetsha shook her head.

“No, I’m actually happy.”

She smiled brightly.

“Just being able to see you again makes me happy.”

Her pure and sincere smile warmed the air around them. Quanid gave a playful whistle.

“The mood is nice, but it looks like we have some company, Princess.”

The carriage came to a halt as Quanid’s magic alerted him.

Outside, black beasts were approaching the carriage.

“Beasts of the Demon Realm,” Annetsha noted.

The creatures resembled large tigers, with sharp fangs bared as they slowly stalked toward her.

“I’ll handle this. Taesan, you can stay here.”

Annetsha stood confidently.

“Quanid, you stay put too.”

“Understood, Princess.”

She stepped outside the carriage.

The beasts growled, inching closer, their fangs gleaming.

Annetsha waved her hand.

A black wind gathered around her.

*Crack!*

The wind whipped out violently, slashing through the air. The beasts sprang back, narrowly avoiding the deadly blades.

Annetsha maintained her composure as she controlled the wind.

*Boom!*

The wind condensed, surging forward and driving the beasts back. It coiled around them like a hand, squeezing and subduing them.

Taesan watched with interest.

The black wind Annetsha wielded was the same dark magic spell known as *Seir’s Black Wind*—a spell that Taesan also possessed.

However, her mastery over the spell was far beyond his.

She used it seamlessly, balancing offense and defense in perfect harmony with just that one spell.

In terms of pure proficiency in dark magic, Annetsha surpassed Taesan.

*Crack!*

The wind tore the beasts apart.

Annetsha took a deep breath and turned around, smiling as if eager for approval.

“Not bad, right?”

She looked like a child showing off to a parent, hoping to impress them.

Taesan gave her a nod of acknowledgment.

The carriage resumed its journey.

Even the Demon Realm had nights. Soon, darkness began to fall, and Quanid brought the carriage to a stop.

“It’s getting dark. Let’s rest for the night.”

“Agreed.”

They began preparing for a meal.

As Annetsha pulled out a pot, she giggled.

“This brings back memories. We used to eat together like this back then too, didn’t we?”

“Though the circumstances were a bit different.”

“Those were terrifying and painful days… but being with you made it enjoyable.”

She smiled warmly.

Suddenly, she clapped her hands as if she remembered something.

“Oh! Taesan, can you still use dark magic?”

“Of course.”

Clearing the quest in Vekeseta had allowed Taesan to fully master dark magic.

“How well can you use it now?”

“I know a lot of dark magic spells, but I’m not that skilled with them.”

[You activate *Seir’s Black Wind.*]

A swirling gust of black wind formed above Taesan’s hand.

Unlike ordinary magic, dark magic grew more powerful the more demonic energy it consumed.

But beyond that, Taesan couldn’t do much. Controlling the black wind with the finesse Annetsha had demonstrated earlier was beyond him.

His proficiency in dark magic seemed to have hit a ceiling. It felt like he needed to master the control first before his skills could improve any further.

“As expected… Dark magic is inherently demonic. It’s difficult for a human like you to master it completely.”

Annetsha’s eyes sparkled as if she had just come up with an idea.

“In that case, would you like me to teach you? The way you use dark magic makes a huge difference in its effectiveness.”

“I’m fine with it, but are you sure?”

“Of course. You saved me, after all. Think of it as my way of repaying you.”

“The Demon God has already rewarded me for that.”

“No.”

Annetsha shook her head and gave him a soft smile.

“This is a personal repayment—from me to you.”