Chapter 90
“Whoa.”
Taesan was expecting an invitation but assumed there’d be at least a minimal trial to clear before getting invited. Thus, he was momentarily taken aback.
“Does this mean there’s no need for a trial because you already know, or perhaps…” “It might mean there’s no desire to give me one.”
After a brief glance at the system window, Taesan made his move.
“You have accepted Lucifer’s invitation.” “Lucifer’s realm welcomes you.”
The world warped. The labyrinth was coated in darkness, and an entirely different world materialized.
This realm differed from Maria’s domain.
Where her domain was like a temple standing alone in the void of space, Lucifer’s was a vast castle interior.
Taesan was summoned inside an impossibly long and broad building.
Quietly, Taesan surveyed the interior of the castle.
Black gem decorations. Pillars stretching as if to reach the sky. Ceilings so high they seemed distant.
It was, in every sense, a colossal castle.
“Hmm.” A voice of dissatisfaction echoed. Taesan belatedly realized.
A girl in black was looking down at him from a high throne, her arm resting on its armrest.
Her hair flowed down to the base of the throne, black as night.
Eyes sharp as a cat’s.
Wearing a long, black dress.
Taesan was slightly bewildered.
Meeting Maria, he felt an indescribable power. That’s why he could instantly tell when she appeared.
However, this girl was different.
To the naked eye, she was just a cute, ordinary child, with no discernible power.
The girl spoke.
“Are you just going to stare?”
Taesan quickly came to his senses. The girl greeted him from her throne, as if she were royalty, clearly expecting something from him.
It wasn’t hard to guess what she wanted.
Taesan kneeled.
“Greetings, Demon God.”
The Demon God Lucifer.
Her true form was the young girl before him.
The girl, gazing down at Taesan, spoke.
“You kneel so readily.” “I’m not foolish enough to misread the situation.”
It was unclear what feelings the god before him harbored. More likely than not, she harbored hostility.
After all, he had killed one of her kin.
Choosing to comply seemed the right decision.
And it was.
“Not bad. Had you resisted, I might have crushed your head.” A light voice brushed against Taesan’s nape, causing his muscles to naturally tense.
The girl waved her hand.
“Ah, just joking. I couldn’t possibly crush your head. There’d be too many upset with me. Rather than that…”
Her sleepy gaze settled on Taesan.
“Hmm. I’ve seen you through the eyes of that pitiable one, but you’re indeed unique. Could such a being exist in this world?” Confused by her cryptic words, Taesan’s brows twitched.
“If you don’t know, that’s fine. It’s irrelevant to me.” She lazily played with her hair with her toes, adopting a nonchalant attitude.
“I have no intention of meddling in your killing of that pitiable one. It was a fair fight among yourselves.” “That’s a relief.”
At least she didn’t seem to bear any resentment for killing Jang-an.
“You sought me out for mana, I assume.” Taesan nodded.
The consumption requirement for using black magic: mana.
That’s why he accepted Lucifer’s invitation.
Lucifer shook her head, her silk-like hair flowing gently.
“You’re human.” A slender finger pointed at Taesan.
“And I am the Demon God. Mana is the power of my kind, not of humans.” “So, you can’t give it to me?”
Mana, as she said, belonged to demons. In fact, the ghost couldn’t obtain anything from Lucifer’s altar.
But Lucifer had deliberately invited Taesan to her realm. There must be another way.
“You could bestow your kind’s power on me, couldn’t you?” “Under normal circumstances, yes. But you, though through a loophole, have acquired some of my kind’s power. The one beside you didn’t qualify, but you do.” Taesan understood what Lucifer meant.
He had stolen black magic, a skill that humans couldn’t learn, through Power Surge from Jang-an.
In essence, he was learning black magic, a skill demanding mana. He had met the minimum criteria. Lucifer murmured with a faint interest.
“Truly unique. Is that your power…” Taesan shot her a questioning look. Lucifer diverted the conversation.
“I can set a trial for you, and if you pass, I can bestow mana on you. But is that all you want? You responded to my invitation hoping for more, didn’t you?” Taesan didn’t deny it. Lucifer continued languidly.
“You want more than just mana. Like the god of magic did for you, you want to receive magic from me and seek a new path, right?” Simply receiving mana wouldn’t mean much. Unless he could defeat new demons and seize their black magic, he’d only have one black magic spell to use.
Taesan wanted more. He hoped to learn new black magic from Lucifer, to have more cards to play.
Lucifer responded to Taesan’s wish.
“It’s possible. You’ve lightly acquired some of mine. Adding one or two more won’t make a difference.” Taesan clenched his fist where she couldn’t see.
If black magic could be considered on par with magic, then Taesan would have access to swordsmanship, skills, magic, and black magic—a total of four powers. The difference would be vast.
“But everything has a price, Kang Taesan.” Her sharp gaze softened.
“What I’ll give you isn’t something a mere trial can compensate for.” “Do you want me to become an apostle?”
All the gods Taesan had met wanted that. Lucifer laughed.
“Of course not. Maria and the others might wish for that, but I am the Demon God. Humans can’t be my apostles. Only pure demons can be.” Lucifer stated proudly.
“They’re quite foolish. No matter how exceptional you are, to beg so desperately when you’re still human. It’s beneath the dignity of a god.” “Have you been watching me?”
“Why would I watch the fight of a child that’s not mine? I have no interest.” Her attitude displayed strong pride, and Taesan was actually relieved. Having no desire to become an apostle, such proposals were subtly exhausting.
“What I want from you is a simple relationship of obeying commands and receiving rewards.” This wasn’t bad news for Taesan.
“Speak your command.”
“Simple. Protect my lamb.” A quest window appeared.
“[Sub Quest Start] [The Demon God Lucifer wishes to aid her child who is being persecuted. However, that world is beyond the reach of demons. She hopes you, who can visit, will assist her child.] [Reward: Lucifer will decide based on your performance.]” Taesan scanned the quest and spoke.
“Am I going to another world?”
“You’ve been to the world of the foolish and the fallen, right? It’s not a perished world, so no worries.” Lucifer frowned, her beautiful brow creasing.
“My lamb suffers persecution and pain in a world that has forgotten me. Bring her to safety.” “I heard you abandoned the outside to settle here.”
“Seems the pitiable one was mistaken, but I’ve merely changed my abode, not abandoned it. My gaze remains where my children are. It’s just more entertaining here, so I pay it no mind.” Wherever demons, her creations, exist, Lucifer watches over them.
Her power was subtly revealed. Taesan remained silent, pondering.
‘This won’t be a short quest.’
Whoever her lamb was, the situation seemed quite dire for Lucifer to personally request her safety.
‘It won’t be easy.’
A quest given by a god who considered her own trials insufficient would surely be more challenging than any enhanced trial.
After contemplating, Taesan made his decision.
“I’ll accept.”
Lucifer smiled.
“Good.” “But I have another request.”
The quietly waiting ghost gasped. A mortal daring to make a request of a god could easily provoke wrath if the god were impetuous.
Lucifer’s eyes narrowed.
“Making a request without offering something in return to a god? Normally, I’d crush your head, but… this time, that’s not possible.” Lucifer’s aura faded. It became clear.
She initially said, upon seeing Taesan, that since others showed interest, she wouldn’t crush his head, calling it a joke.
She considered herself weaker or more respectful of gods like Lakhiratas and Maria. She wouldn’t rashly harm Taesan.
“Speak. If it’s trivial, I’ll ignore it.” Facing the grumbling Lucifer, Taesan spoke.
“Do you know who invaded my world?”
“Ah.” Lucifer’s smile deepened.
“I’ll forgive your request without a price. You want to know who they are, right? Fine. If you satisfactorily complete my command, I’ll also tell you about them.” Having gained what he wanted, Taesan nodded.
“That’s settled, then.”
“Alright. But I should at least explain the basics once. Listen carefully, as I’ll only say it once.” Lucifer began her explanation.
“The world you’re going to is known to us as Vekweseta. It’s a world where magic exists and is guarded by dragons. The world’s strength is average, but… it’s protected by a nuisance.” A slight annoyance appeared on Lucifer’s face.
“A weak and fragile entity torments mine in that world.” Lucifer leaned her chin on her hand, her hair cascading down.
“The world governed by the god of light born from the earth, Hamon. That’s where you’re heading.”
Taesan squinted. Blinded by the sun’s light for the first time in ages, it was overwhelmingly bright.
After an indeterminate period, he was seeing the sun again. Inside the labyrinth, there was no sunlight, and after Earth was invaded, the sun was obscured.
“Is this Vekweseta?”
He looked around and muttered.
“Not much different.”
He saw a forest. Dark rocks beside it and a blue stream flowing nearby.
At a glance, it was just like Earth.
“As the Sin Guides show, the most common shape is human. It’s not like I’ll be chased around as a monster. I never thought I’d end up in another world.”
This world didn’t seem to be perishing or invaded by monsters.
Its inhabitants likely lived and died ordinarily, just like Earth before.
That felt oddly remarkable to Taesan. Such normalcy felt incredibly distant to him.
“Seems there’s no time for sentimentality.”
“Exactly.”
Taesan’s detection of presences picked up several from beyond the forest.
Those pursuing several.
And one being pursued.