Chapter 81

Ground Zero, District 4.

After lights-out at ten, once the night slipped into early morning, the orphans of the Prayer House often snuck out of bed together without the nun or the head caretaker noticing.

Like kids their age, their midnight mischief usually meant raiding the kitchen for snacks they hadn’t been able to eat during the day.

Or exploring the abandoned houses inside Ground Zero as a test of bravery.

Sometimes they even messed around by hopping onto a late-night train on the Gyeongbu Line and pretending to be train robbers—nothing more than harmless pranks. But lately, they had been obsessed with something else.

The children stuffed dummy figures made of plaster and paint under their blankets to fool the nun’s nighttime patrol, then gathered in one place.

The third floor of the chapel.

The room where Velada and Flauros stayed.

Knock, knock, knock. Knock, knock.

“The time of twilight has come.”

Yeon Parang, the oldest among the orphans, knocked in a steady rhythm and spoke the password.

After a short wait, Vedala opened the door in her pajamas, covering a yawn.

“Haaah… Don’t you kids ever sleep this late at night?”

“The time of twilight has come.”

“Didn’t I say earlier that I have dawn prayers? I don’t have time to play with you tonight.”

“The time of twili—”

“Haaah…”

Faced with a boy who simply would not listen, she had no choice but to answer with the equally cringeworthy reply.

“The light hides, and darkness draws breath.”

“Security checks out today, too.”

“Security, my foot… sigh, just come in.”

The orphans squeezed together inside the narrow attic room.

Vedala didn’t particularly like moments like this, when everyone stared at her at once.

Because it meant she had to tell them an entertaining story every single night.

Outwardly, she only looked three or four years older than the other kids. But the years she had lived through numbered well into the hundreds.

“Fine, then. Tonight, I’ll continue the story about how I wiped out the knights of the underground city.”

Like she was writing a novel, she blended her autobiographical experiences into a fantasy setting as she spoke.

Naturally, she couldn’t just come out and say she was a demon race member.

Even so, looking at it broadly, the core of the story wasn’t all that different.

“They were all troublesome in their own way, but the last guy—the one wielding the sword—was especially annoying. When he swung it, literally half the city split apart…”

“Hm. I’m not feeling any spiritual core here.”

“What!?”

“So in the end, you aimed for the king’s throne, lost, got your power taken away, and lived like a slave for three hundred years, right?”

“It’s boring and pretentious.”

“Y-you brats!?”

Boooo!

Yawns and jeers filled the room.

The children found stories about slow, grinding growth from rock bottom unbearably dull.

Stories of hardship and betrayal, of bitter defeat overcome and risen from—heroic narratives like that were nothing more than the equivalent of eating two hundred sweet potatoes to them.

Right beside Vedala, however, there was someone showing genuine interest.

Her roommate, who had started sharing the room only recently.

“Did you gather here to hear tales of valor? Even at your age, you already carry the makings of warriors.”

Flauros.

She had nearly lost her life after being defeated by the Apostle of an Outer God, but survived thanks to her unique regenerative ability.

Afterwards, she had fallen into despair. Then, after some words exchanged with Patel, she now lay low in this Prayer House, quietly rebuilding her strength and sharpening her fist for revenge.

“Do you have a story to tell us, Sister Flauros?”

“My life began in struggle, burned through war, and ended its first act in defiance. Would that interest you?”

The children’s attention shifted to Flauros in an instant.

Even her appearance was different from Vedala’s shabby looks.

Her incarnation body had been restored by the ‘Reviving Fire,’ leaving her limbs far more slender and long, her hair glossy with vitality.

She was perceptive and adaptive too, capable of dealing with Ground Zero’s criminals who targeted her—quietly, where no one could see.

Seeing how she maintained such striking beauty without relying on anyone, the children instinctively knew she was no ordinary person.

“Well then, where should I begin? There was a time I dragged a Tartaruga out of the lava of the Calabir Crater with my bare hands. Back then, raising Tartarugas was all the rage among the Archdukes, and I figured I should have one of my own.”

“Oooh, as expected of you, Big Sis!”

Unlike Vedala, Flauros spoke without toning things down, but the children didn’t mind.

Even if doubts crossed their minds, no orphan in Ground Zero would dare voice them in front of someone clearly stronger than themselves.

By the time Flauros finished recounting her life story hours later, the children were completely captivated.

“The sun will be rising soon. If Margaret catches you, it’ll be troublesome, so head back now.”

“Yes, Big Sis!”

“And next time, avoid weekends. You’re interfering with the sleep I require.”

“Understood!”

The children bowed at a ninety-degree angle, then filed out in perfect order.

Finally, I can sleep.

Vedala pulled the blanket over herself, looking utterly exhausted.

If she closed her eyes now, she should be able to secure about an hour of sleep.

Just as she clutched the Choco Pie hidden beneath her pillow and was about to drift off—

The voice of Flauros, from the other side of the room, suddenly called out.

“Was that true?”

“Hyaaam… what are you talking about?”

“What you told the children today.”

Was she talking about the story of how she had once been a monster and became a demon race member only after gaining power?

From the perspective of an Archduke born with overwhelming strength, it probably felt like an entirely different world.

But what could she do about it now?

Vedala answered as if it were nothing.

“There was no lie in what I told the children. Is it uncomfortable sharing a room because I used to be a monster?”

“That’s not it. I was only wondering whether your contractor knows this.”

“What?”

“Did Patel form a contract with you while knowing that you never swore loyalty to the Archduke of Necromancy, and that even after three hundred years, you still intend to steal that Archduke’s seat if given the chance?”

No.

There had been many moments when she had thought about revealing her identity and true name to him, but Patel still didn’t know.

She tried to sound calm, but her voice trembled.

“H-hmph! And what of it? In the demon race’s world, usurpation is commonplace!”

“Yet very few survive after attempting it. Cutting off your own horns means you resisted an Archduke’s demonic power.”

“……”

“I wonder if Patel would continue the contract once he learns your true intentions.”

You deceitful little fox!

Ever since entering the Council, this woman had openly shown her filthy desire to treat him like her subordinate.

Now that she’d even settled into the same room, it was obvious she was scheming to drive a wedge between herself and her contractor.

“Do you want him that badly?”

“He’s a man who refused even my blood draught at the height of my power. If I think of him as the reward that would follow defeating the Apostle of an Outer God, it’s not such a bad bargain.”

At this point, it almost felt reasonable to suspect that she had challenged the Apostle of an Outer God she never had a chance against because she wanted Patel.

Of course, the cause and effect were reversed—but it was also true that after that battle, Patel had been given the condition to enter her retinue.

“His conduct within the Council suited my tastes as well. And more than anything, when I was struck down by the Apostle of an Outer God and faced death, the merit of saving me and bringing me here is something I can’t help but acknowledge.”

“P-Patel is clearly my contractor!”

But Vedala had her own thoughts.

A way to keep Patel from being stolen by Flauros.

That meant only one thing.

Vedala herself would become someone far stronger than Flauros.

“The day you become Patel’s master will never come. The Demon Realm will unite sooner than that!”

“And why is that?”

“Because once I regain the power I’ve hidden away, he’ll be so shocked he’ll drop to his knees and beg me to form an eternal contract with him!”

“Hidden power?”

She was referring to a fragment of mysterious power she had discovered in some pit while wandering the Demon Realm.

Although she had been defeated by Gamigin’s subordinates, Vedala still had one final trump card.

If properly assimilated, it was something that could grant power surpassing anyone in this world—and even among the Archdukes, very few knew of its existence.

Not even the Archduke of Necromancy himself had realized that a Star Scar was hidden beneath the city he ruled.

There was a saying that it was darkest right under the lamp, and this situation fit it perfectly.

“When that day comes, a new master of the Demon Realm will be born.”

“Oh… that does sound worth looking forward to.”

“Then I’ll be off. It’s about time for dawn prayers.”

Vedala hopped down from the bed.

With the same confidence that no one would ever find the Choco Pie hidden beneath her pillow.

“Crunch!”

“……”

“Crrrunch—!”

“Could you please chew more quietly?”

Back in the dormitory, I watched anxiously as my Outer God gnawed on the newly acquired Star Scar.

For the record, she looked extremely displeased.

Whether it was because the Star-Scar-infused horn was absurdly hard, or because once again she had only been given a palm-sized portion of one of those massive horns.

“Crrrunch—!”

Judging by the deliberate noise, it seemed to be the latter.

The black mountain goat—the Gate’s boss—had been resealed into the Four Knights that Baek-seon commanded.

It was a shame that we couldn’t immediately use the elite troops of the immortal legion the Archduke of Necromancy had boasted about, but preventing the Gate from closing took priority.

From Division 3’s perspective, being able to continue honing their skills in the temple was probably a blessing.

The tentacles occupying the city were happy too.

Yoo Se-byeol, who had put a leash on me, seemed strangely happy as well…

“Am I imagining things, or did everyone get happier except me?”

“Crunch!”

My Outer God showed no sign of sympathy, as if to say, “Not really?”

Her gaze was fixed on the massive mountain goat horn in my hand.

I wanted to give it to her right away, but this one had a different purpose.

The boss of this Gate was presumed to be Vedala’s true body.

Which meant this sacred mark had originally belonged to Vedala.

If a situation arose where we needed to make use of her later, this would come in handy.

Even now, she’d probably agree to almost anything for a box of Choco Pies, but you never knew what the future held.

As I was idly imagining how deliciously she might cry if I grated the Star Scar she had treasured in secret over pasta with a cheese grater, Alexei entered the room.

He was covered head to toe in demon blood.

“You look tired, Brother. Another visit to the Eternal Temple?”

“That’s right. I can really feel my strength improving day by day.”

After Necropolis had been cleared, the Special Unit had begun sending agents there in earnest for training.

Originally, it had been agreed that only Division 3 members would enter, so additional fees were paid to Baek-seon, who held ownership of the Gate.

Even so, the speed at which experience against demonkind accumulated was remarkable, leading them to pour resources into strengthening their forces regardless of the cost.

“The Archduke’s subordinates really are good opponents. How about you give it a try too, Hayan?”

“I still can’t pass the gatekeepers’ inspection.”

“If hunting tentacles is too hard, I can help.”

“It’s fine. I’m busy with homework.”

I declined his offer and lay back on the bed, activating my smartwatch.

After the major update to New Demon Beast War RE:VIVE!, I still had to clear the newly opened area, the ‘Eternal Manure Processing Plant,’ before the day was over.

Alexei wiped down his bloodstained axe, set it in the corner, then went to wash up.

When he returned, he finally noticed Mala-nim upstairs, still crunching away, and pointed at the horn she was holding.

“Is that really your sister’s treatment?”

“Of course. It’s a newly released treatment shaped like a demon horn.”

“It looks exactly like the one that was attached to the monster’s head in the deepest part of this special-grade Gate. Baek-seon was looking for it, saying it vanished right after the monster was sealed.”

“Is that so?”

I casually turned my head toward Mala-nim.

After a moment of thought, I answered the same way as before.

“It’s a trendy design these days.”