NOVEL WEB Chapter 31
Chapter 31
My heart pounded wildly, as if it might burst from my chest.
So loud, I feared others nearby might hear.
Is this even allowed?
For a six-star demon to appear is a miracle in itself, but not just any six-star demon—a Grand Demon was coming to me.
‘This is…’
A crime.
In reality, if I posted this on a community, it would be akin to a heinous act warranting a permanent ban.
The names of the seven Grand Demons swirled in my head.
What kind of monster would it be?
Which beast would bring revolution to the rotten roots?
The fortune in my hand no longer felt distant. It was as if I was demanding something that was rightfully mine.
I hope all of this isn’t just a dream.
To walk in reality while continuing to dream.
“The seven demons who inherited the first blood were all powerful, each bestowed with a different strength.”
What is it?
The power you inherited…
“The twinkle of a star…”
Ah…
It’s you.
It was you!
“Her hell was filled with intellect as bright as stars…”
The door began to open with a low rumble.
A chilling mist spread around.
“The one who judges with sulfur and lightning, with a blazing intellect…”
The burning intellect.
“The eternal star now falls here.”
A tremendous light burst forth from the gates of hell.
The door slowly opened, and a small girl emerged.
Just then, a sinister voice from beyond the gates of hell made all life tremble in fear.
Amooooooon! You think you can run…
The gates of hell closed before the roar could finish.
The girl who appeared amidst the mystical smoke had a peculiar appearance.
Drooping sleeves with tiny horns.
Her hair, braided in two, matched her petite stature, blending brown and gold perfectly.
Her attire was eye-catching, but what drew the most attention were…
The mechanical hands that freely flew around her, buzzing.
Approximately five… no, seven, but there could be more.
Lenses like eyes were affixed to the back of their hands.
‘No, they might actually be eyes.’
The gaze shifted from the cute horns of Amon to her facial features. A sigh escaped her small mouth.
“Haa… Haa… Hm?”
Only then did the Grand Demon pay attention to the summoner.
“Ahem… Allow me to introduce myself, I am the star of intellect and the Grand Demon of hell…”
Her eyes shone eerily bright.
“I am Amon.”
[★★★★★★ Summoning Amon.]
[Achievement Quest ‘Eternal Star’ accomplished.]
She smiled wryly, but behind that smile was an overwhelming presence. Her gaze soon shifted from mine to that of the two women with horns like hers.
Phenex and Lucifer.
“Whoa… Who are these? Indeed… Is that so? Lucifer, you called me.”
Lucifer half-raised her hand and replied.
“No, it was Faust who summoned Amon.”
“Spaghetti?”
“Faust.”
“…”
With a snap!
One of Amon’s mechanical hands pointed at me accusingly.
“Lies, you say I was summoned by this creature?”
“Faust is a demon.”
“…I heard they were extinct?”
“The lineage continues.”
“…Ugh…”
Amon seemed quite upset at being summoned by me. But then she raised her head…
“Ugh… It could be so! The universe is still full of the incomprehensible…”
She smirked.
“And that’s what makes it more interesting.”
As the storm-like moments passed, the dream became reality.
“Alright, lead the way. Where shall I reside, Amon?”
“…”
Lucifer glanced around and whispered to Amon.
“You’ve been sleeping wherever you can.”
Amon’s eyes dimmed as if shocked.
“That can’t be. A resting place is important!”
She gritted her teeth and said,
“I should have brought my servants!”
Watching her regret, Lucifer conveyed.
“Let’s stop here.”
It was decided that it was too early to use the magic stone.
* * *
Amon.
One of the seven Grand Demons, the oldest and most powerful beings in hell.
A monster said to be encountered only by the most extravagant of spenders in reality. Each Grand Demon was so formidable that they were accused of breaking the balance, and perhaps one of the reasons why the game Lemegaton failed was precisely because of these Grand Demons.
‘The deprivation felt by those without was nonsensical.’
Too filthy expensive to be called a right, yet the sense of loss was too critical to be deemed dispensable.
Such was Amon, now standing firmly on the rotten roots. She looked up at me, significantly shorter in stature, and asked.
“So, Spaghetti, you’re a Demon King?”
“Faust.”
“What I call becomes the name!”
“…Faust.”
“Faust! So, you’re the Demon King?”
“I have no relation to the Demon King.”
“How can that be!? Isn’t this like the 31st dungeon or something? You must be here on an inspection, right?”
“It’s the first domain.”
Her expression seemed familiar, like something out of an animation. Her pupils vanished in an instant, and her mechanical hands supported her as she nearly collapsed.
“This is… this…”
Barely managing to stand, her expression quickly turned as if she were about to cry, declaring she would return home.
“I shall return! To hell!”
In such times, the help of someone with a connection was needed.
Like Lucifer, for instance.
“Amon, Faust needs your power.”
“What? Hehe… of course, that’s… no! Lucifer, even if you ask, it’s useless.”
Amon spoke seriously.
“The power of the Grand Demon Amon cannot be used for such trivial matters. This mighty power has been preserved solely to protect the balance of hell.”
Lucifer added to her rather resolute statement.
“Weren’t you the very person who disrupted the balance of hell, Amon?”
“…Was I?”
“Have you already forgotten?”
“You have a long memory, Lucifer.”
As they conversed, I stepped away. Watching them bicker from my core, I felt they might seem pitiful, so I gave them space.
‘After all, I can hear the conversation too.’
I am virtually one with the Rotten Roots. There’s nothing that happens in the dungeon that I don’t know about.
I patrolled the dungeon after stepping outside.
The first field of the dungeon being a forest was a plus, giving the feeling of having a park to stroll in right outside the house.
Creak…
Creeeak…
A few days ago, a goblin multiplied due to the effects of the forest field. If the field is maintained in good condition for a long time, perhaps more quality familiars will increase.
Gurgle…
Gurgle…
Watching an unnamed bird perch on a tree, I pondered. Regardless of what had happened or what would happen here, the forest was peaceful. The familiars here had their own lives.
Listening to the birds chirping, I also eavesdropped on the ongoing conversation between Amon and Lucifer in my core.
“Lucifer, what’s going on? Why are you by the side of a demon?”
“…I am now wholeheartedly serving Faust.”
“Hmm… I don’t understand. You, who rely on a demon race, that is already doomed.”
Amon seemed to consider the demon race beyond salvation.
“That’s not the case.”
“…Hmm?”
“Still, hidden in the ashes…”
I was very curious about Lucifer’s face as she spoke.
“A tiny breath remains that can set the whole world ablaze.”
“Is that Spaghetti?”
“…It’s Faust.”
“Hmm… I’m still puzzled. You disappeared when hell needed you, yet here you are by the side of an unnamed demon… Did you have a hand in my summoning?”
‘…Could it be?’
A surge of anxiety.
“If all this was Lucifer’s scheme…”
“It’s not.”
…
“It’s solely Faust’s power.”
Phew…
A relief washes over me.
My fortune wasn’t manipulated after all.
More importantly, the voice from beyond the gates of hell… it sounded familiar.
Maybe, we should overlook such minor details…
Amon’s previous contract… I believe it was quite old, but has the magic weakened? It seems you crossed the gates of hell on your own… Ah… perhaps that ominous energy felt during the summoning ritual was…
Enough! Any more probing would be…
“…You were planning to blame me?”
Blame?
‘Could it be… Amon herself interfered with the summoning process…’
“…I cannot return to hell for the time being.”
Indeed, the voice I heard faintly was hers…
“It’s a bit shabby, but this place seems quite cozy. …I’ll have a look around.”
‘So, she came over intentionally?’
It seemed too good to be true. But what does it matter?
‘The important thing is, Amon is now in my hands.’
I stand on the edge of a cliff.
On this cliff, I plan to roll the snowball named Amon to reap massive benefits.
“My lord…”
“…You were here, Phenex.”
“Amon is dangerous.”
It’s not uncommon for demons to fear a Grand Demon, but did Phenex feel the same?
“Are you afraid of Amon?”
Phenex shook her head in response.
“My grandfather warned me not to trust a Grand Demon!”
“…”
“The Grand Demon sealed away life force, he said.”
Oh?
‘Ah… that’s right.’
There was a secret history between the previous Phenex and the seven Grand Demons. It’s a significant part of Phenex’s story later on.
‘Not that it matters right now.’
Looking down at her, I said.
“Understood.”
Her response came with a bright smile, as if my words were the absolute truth.
“…Yes!”
* * *
Amon.
This damn thing.
“…Where is Amon?”
“She’s in her quarters.”
Amon did not work.
She whimsically transformed a yet-to-be-designated space into her quarters in an instant.
Who would have thought I’d witness a miracle right before my eyes? Her mechanical hands not only split and shaped the stone but also effortlessly crafted intricate sculptures…
Those mechanical hands, strong enough to grind stone, felt momentarily chilling. And more terrifying was Amon, motionless in that eerie space, sprawled out on the bed, asleep.
Was this how Ash felt, dealing with his disobedient Charizard? I wanted to kick her into action right then and there, but I feared the consequences…
“Sigh…”
Amon wasn’t a snowball.
She was a boulder.
Even Phenex, who at least listened, seemed like an angel in comparison.
“Lord Faust.”
With a swish…
Lucifer called out, and she handed me a parchment.
“News from Mori.”
“Mori, huh.”
Unrolling the curled parchment with a hint of anticipation, I found content I hadn’t expected at all.
“The black market…”
It conveyed the schedule of the black market, where stolen goods and other illicit or rare items flowed from the surrounding cities, including Liudira.
‘In the game, it was merely a place for trading goods through illegal routes…’
If that secret place were applied to reality, it would likely not be so simple.
‘I did have a reason to go out anyway…’
Lucifer’s eyes sparkled.
“This time for sure…”
Just then.
“I shall go!”
Boom-!
The firmly closed door to Amon’s quarters burst open, and she, with her hair standing on end, shot out like a bullet.
Pop-!
“I, too, shall go!”
Hearing that, an involuntary faint smile appeared on my face. Perhaps this outing could correct her slothfulness.
“There’s no reason not to.”