Chapter 66 : The Past is Like a Cemetery 3

"Where exactly did you find that?"

"I got it from the raid dungeon I went to this time. Instead of the dungeon boss core, I found this."

"By dungeon boss, do you mean the new monster called the Korean Chimera?"

At first, I thought it was just a strange dungeon.

A peculiar monster, at most.

But instead of a core, a fragment of the Demon King came from that unusual dungeon boss.

It could only mean one thing.

The adaptive copy dungeon didn't form just by coincidence.

"Whether it was coincidental or not, the Demon King's fragment used the dungeon boss as a host. If it had kept devouring more people and growing… it would have been quite dangerous. Even though it's just a fragment, there's a slight possibility it could have become the Demon King."

"Even if you call it the Demon King, it still doesn't feel real…"

"I understand. So, what do you think when you see this?"

"…"

Choi Bomi stared blankly at the Demon King fragment that Shia had taken out.

The thing, which looked like a pitch-black jewel, occasionally twitched as if it were pulsing like a heartbeat.

Each time it moved, faintly etched red veins shimmered on its surface.

It had an undoubtedly foreign and repulsive appearance, yet Choi Bomi couldn't shake the thought that the Demon King's fragment was strangely beautiful and alluring.

'No, what am I thinking…'

[You want to become stronger, don't you?]

'…?'

What was that voice?

[It's alright to tell me.]

Choi Bomi's eyes widened as the voice pierced directly into her mind, not her ears.

[You want to be stronger. You want to make more money. You want to rise to a higher position.]

Yet, there was nothing around her.

[Yes, yes. I understand. You've been envious every time you looked at the Returnees. You knew you shouldn't, but to you, it seemed like they gained power without any cost.]

As she glanced at Shia and the black jewel, the Demon King's fragment on the desk, the voice in her mind became even clearer.

[Just say the word. Just say you want it too. I can grant that.]

Every time the voice directly lodged itself in her brain, Choi Bomi felt like time was slowing down.

It was as if she and the owner of the voice were the only ones left in the world.

And, just as the voice said, at one point, Choi Bomi had harbored such feelings.

Though it was a childish thought from her younger days, it was indeed true.

The Returnees had just been dragged into the Great Rift and gone to another world, yet they came back with power far beyond that of most Awakened or Hunters, didn't they?

They were just people who had been kidnapped and were unlucky, right?

Somehow, just because they were kidnapped, some people ended up with insignificant powers, while others gained world-shattering abilities… It seemed so unfair. I wished I could get power that easily too.

But as soon as she started her first day at the Returnee Management Bureau, that thought was shattered.

What she had once dismissed as childish envy had been abruptly unearthed and dug up by something.

Negative emotions that had never sprouted suddenly took over her mind, spreading desire.

In the slowing time, all Choi Bomi could do was bite her lip.

[You pitiful little human. Child of sweet jealousy. If you just say one word…]

Crunch!!!

"Ah…!"

At that moment, Shia's tentacle struck the Demon King's fragment with force.

Her tentacle seemed to be imbued with holy power, as a white energy swirled around it.

"How dare you speak out."

[You vile…]

Crack!

Snap!

[Impu…]

"Don't you dare!"

Thud!

"Mess with!"

[I'll never forgi…]

Crunch!

"Human minds!"

Snap!

"Shut your mouth!"

Smash!

[…]

As Shia's holy-powered tentacle repeatedly struck the Demon King's fragment, Choi Bomi felt the voice that had filled her mind disappear completely.

"Hah, hah… what just happened, Shia?"

Still trying to catch her breath and understand the situation, Choi Bomi looked at Shia.

"Sorry, I thought it was dead, but it was still alive."

"…What exactly is this…?"

"Just as I said."

The Demon King.

"Specifically, a fragment of the Demon King."

"…The Demon King? The one you said you defeated in the other world?"

"Yeah."

The term "Demon King" wasn't unfamiliar in the modern world.

In subcultures, comics, and even various movies, the Demon King was a recurring figure.

In some stories, the Demon King falls into corruption or is pierced by the hero's weapon, groaning and moaning while creating enough offspring to form a soccer team.

The Demon King had become a term often associated with fun.

It had been twisted and played with so much that some people online even said it was the ideal profession for a woman.

"But the Demon King I defeated wasn't such a gentle being."

"I'd like to hear more in detail."

"Let's see, where should I begin…"

The Demon King.

The King of Demons.

A collection of evil beings, malevolence, and malice.

A hideous entity that ruled over evil and demonic creatures.

"If you had agreed to the whispers of the Demon King fragment earlier, what do you think would have happened?"

"…I don't know. Would I have turned into a demon?"

"Oh, correct."

"Becoming a beautiful succubus doesn't sound too bad though, right?"

She already had many complaints about her shabby body.

Especially compared to the voluptuous, motherly figure of the Saintess of the Dead, Shia, standing before her.

Though she never showed it, Choi Bomi held considerable jealousy towards Shia's figure.

However, Shia gave a faint smile at the mention of a succubus.

"Do you know what a Wall Demon is?"

"What's that? Something like a gargoyle statue?"

"A Wall Demon is a demon that seduces human women, fuses them into the meat of a wall, and creates a production line for imps and nameless monsters as the demon's minions. The Demon King is so generous that he even places a life-sustaining contract on the Wall Demons so they don't die from age or starvation. One of the people I rescued from that world had been embedded in a wall for 183 years."

"…"

The sudden horrifying story made Choi Bomi's face pale in an instant.

If you were a woman, no… if you were human, you'd naturally shudder at such a tale.

"Do you understand what kind of creature the Demon King is now? There are things far more terrible than that. Anyway, the point is, you can't think of the Demon King in human terms. You have to understand it through the lens of 'malevolence' to even begin to grasp it."

The Demon King?

Is that really the Demon King?

It's horrifying to the point of nausea.

Shia nodded as if understanding my reaction, resting her chin on her hand.

"I've said a lot, but to sum it up simply: The Demon King is just a big, oversized brat."

"A brat?"

"Jealous of everything he doesn't have, filled with rage, envy, and spite. The result of that envy is the annihilation of all living things… he's just a delusional brat with a huge body."

"That's quite an honest description."

"Well, long story short, the Demon King is… someone who aims to wipe out all sentient life, including humans, and replace them with creatures of evil and demonic origins, flourishing on a land of ashes."

After speaking, Shia glanced subtly toward the observer's direction.

"Shia? But you said the Demon King was already dead, didn't you?"

"That's right. I definitely killed him in the 'previous world' I was in. Me, the Hero and Empress Menelapie, and the Dark Witch Teresa—three people who didn't seem to fit together—managed to defeat him somehow. But now, his fragment is here."

"But still, you acquired this Demon King's fragment, so isn't that a good thing? It certainly seems dangerous since it whispered those seductive words to me, but you handled it well…"

The fact that the Demon King's fragment existed here carried two meanings.

It wasn't just that the Demon King had invaded the 'previous world' where Shia had been…

"Do you really think this is the first Demon King fragment that appeared in this world?"

"…!!"

Choi Bomi's face quickly stiffened at Shia's words.

Because the possibility of that statement being 0% was non-existent.

In fact, it was a highly probable scenario.

Choi Bomi had heard the seductive whispers from the fragment just moments ago, so she knew how sweet and tempting the fragment's voice could be to a human.

If, as Shia mentioned, a monster had become the host of a fragment, then a monstrous creature like the Korean Chimera could emerge again.

Even this adaptive copy dungeon was far beyond the expectations of the Association. If a larger fragment had fully possessed a monster as its host, what would happen?

Even in this dungeon, without Shia, the 19 A-rank Hunters would have all died long ago.

The Association would have continued sending more Hunters, unknowingly feeding the dungeon boss, making it grow.

But what if such a dungeon boss, quietly growing by devouring countless people, existed somewhere in this world?

Even if it wasn't in Korea, could it be lurking in China, America, or perhaps somewhere far off in the African continent, disguised as accidents or disappearances, with a fragment secretly empowering a dungeon boss?

And what if… a Demon King's fragment fell into the hands of some malicious and wicked human?

That scenario was unimaginable.

"The reason I applied for the ethics audit first today is because of this."

"…"

"I wanted to show you all just how dangerous this is… and how truly evil it is."

Shia spoke calmly, but her gaze was directed upward.

She was looking at the CCTV installed inside the audit room.

It was as if her eyes were challenging those watching her from somewhere else.

"Oh, by the way, since I brought the fragment here voluntarily, I'd be really upset if the Association or the upper levels of the government were already under the Demon King's influence and planned to play some sort of trick on me. Just so you know."

"Ah, no, Shia, there's no way anyone in the Association would be like that. Nothing's happened so far, right?"

"Do you want the truth? I think some humans have already been corrupted by the Demon King's fragment."

Shia was already a special case among the Returnees who required specific management.

The higher-ups were well aware of Shia's information, and the ongoing third ethics audit was not just for Director Choi Bomi.

High-ranking officials from the government were secretly observing as well.

Shia seemed to have anticipated this long ago.

Choi Bomi realized that Shia was genuinely furious right now.

Her eyes, usually kind and full of ease, now slanted horizontally, looking almost inhuman.

"Honestly, I hope it's just my paranoia. I really hope nothing's happened."

"…It seems things have gotten quite serious."

Of course, it could still be nothing, just as Shia said.

It was possible that this was the first Demon King's fragment to fall into this world, and by sheer luck, it ended up in Shia's hands before it could tempt any other human.

But getting caught off guard with optimistic thoughts would only make the blow worse.

A minimal level of preparedness was needed to soften the impact of any future shocks.

"Still, even if nothing's happened, isn't the Hunter Association supposed to protect people? They must have judged that it's better to inform the higher-ups, even if the information leaks out."

"Yes, I understand. I'll report this matter to the upper levels as soon as possible. I'm sure the Hunter Association will take this very seriously."

"Good, that's all I need. Ah, can you relay one message?"

"What is it?"

"If they find anything related to the fragments, make sure they call me."

I can't let that filthy thing run loose in front of my eyes again.

○○○○

Shia spoke of the past for a while.

Partially because of the ethics audit.

But more importantly, she needed to make them understand what the Demon King truly was, so it was easiest to tell them about her experiences.

Of course, Shia wasn't fond of anyone digging into her past.

To the Saintess of the Dead, Shia, the past was like a cemetery.

Uncovering her past was like digging up a grave—it was filled with disturbing and dark stories.

But this time, it was necessary.

"Where did I leave off last time… Ah, I remember. Even though I became the Saintess of the Dead, I was still just a stupid, peace-loving 21-year-old kid who didn't know how to fight. It wasn't until after a few shocking incidents that I took the hand of Empress Menelapie and vowed to fight the Demon King."

I fought well.

Once my mindset changed, everything else became easier.

No, to be precise, it wasn't so much that it became easy, but that I could fight because Menelapie was there.

[If you're afraid to fight, then take this sword.]

[If you don't want to fight, you don't have to.]

[But don't let go of it. It's worthless, but at least it can give you courage.]

In truth, the Empire and the human forces had been repeatedly defeated by the Demon King's army, and countless nations and cities had already fallen to his hands.

However, around the time the Saintess of the Dead, Shia, joined the Empire to fight the Demon King's army, the tide of the war began to turn.

It seemed impossible that hesitation and fear could disappear just because one person extended a hand, but Shia had experienced it firsthand, so she believed in it.

As long as Menelapie was there, Shia could fight the Demon King's army.

Though the Empress protected Shia's back, at some point, Shia began to protect the Empress' back instead.

Thus, the two fought for a long time.

They protected humanity, reclaimed cities occupied by the Demon King's forces, defended, and kept on defending.

Sometimes, they suffered from terrible hunger and starvation, but they fed on the demonic creatures of the Demon King's army filled with malevolence.

However, Shia wasn't welcomed by people from the beginning.

Because she wasn't human.

Because she was the Saintess of the Dead.

Because she was something terrifying that devoured malevolence, Shia became a revered yet unsettling figure because of her strength.

Of course, anyone who crossed the line or disrespected Shia was immediately punished by the Empress.

By that point, Shia had already saved numerous cities and people and was essentially a war hero.

Yet, even when she saved villages, the villagers feared her more than the Demon King's army.

And when Menelapie wasn't present, the knights wouldn't bow their heads to Shia.

But Shia didn't mind.

She expected as much.

She never expected to be loved.

She never expected to be revered.

Shia came to the humans, trusting and loving just one person.

Even though she wasn't loved by all, Shia simply trusted and loved.

She still wanted to be human.

She still wanted to retain her humanity.

Thus, one year passed, then two… and five years went by.

The humans who had been on the verge of extinction due to the Demon King's army had recovered all the lands of the Empire with the help of the Saintess of the Dead, Shia, and Empress Menelapie.

The Demon King and his minions, who had once ravaged the human lands, fled to the dark lands, and the Empress declared humanity's victory.

Although many lands were tainted and the scars of war remained, humanity had survived, the Demon King was gone, and there was hope that everything would return to its natural course.

On that day, the Saintess of the Dead, Shia, was honored by all the humans of the Empire.

Empress Menelapie, from the highest imperial palace, knelt on one knee before Shia and expressed her gratitude.

[On this glorious day of victory, a day without darkness, humanity has been saved by you.]

When a war ends in victory, it's usually the Empress who receives the honor.

Especially since Menelapie had devoted her life to protecting the Empire.

Under her reign, humanity had united and escaped destruction.

Yet, this great Empress knelt before Shia and paid her respects.

At first, many people feared Shia.

Many were jealous of her.

They despised her for not being human and mocked her very existence.

[On behalf of all the humans of this land, Shia, I thank and honor you. Thank you for being by my side. Because of your presence, the dark nights of the Empire have brightened more than anything.]

However, after one year, then two, Shia continued to silently hold their hands.

She fought the Demon King's army on the frontlines.

She healed the wounds of the injured.

She gave a dying soldier who wanted to see his mother one last time new legs, allowing him to walk home.

Whenever humanity faced its darkest moments, it was always the Empress and Shia who saved them.

The people finally realized this.

Only after five years did they understand that the Saintess of the Dead had saved humanity.

They knew they were far too late in realizing it.

They knew they had done something shameful, something so embarrassing that they could hardly bear it.

"Thank you!"

Shia was simply grateful.

She accepted the Empress' respect.

She received the gratitude of all the nobles.

To the knights and soldiers who had once ignored her, to all the humans who had once feared her, Shia was simply grateful.

It wasn't because she was honored.

Shia simply wanted to prove that she was human.

Thank you for believing in me.

Thank you for thinking of me as human.

I'm glad I could be of help to you.

And so, after five long years, Shia became the Saintess of the Dead, second only to the Empress, with absolute support from humanity and the Empire.

Of course, that absolute support eventually crumbled too.