CHAPTER 10

Upon realizing he had been deceived all this time, he couldn't help but feel anger welling up inside him. He had been relieved when his broken heart started beating again, but now he had learned that it was only because he had been subjected to an effect called "Temptation."

Yet, what made this even more infuriating was how unnecessary it had been. Arda was a kind person. If people treated him with warmth, his heart would naturally soften toward them. He would grow accustomed to them, laugh with them, and enjoy their company. The Temptation effect had only accelerated this process. And because of it, any potential friendships had been completely shattered. He had been sent to die knowingly and painfully. How could he trust these people now? How could he feel anything but resentment toward them?

Of course, the other members of the group might not have been aware of this. Perhaps it was a secret known only to the leader and the mechanics. That woman who assigned the missions didn't seem particularly informed about it either. Even Bulut seemed oblivious.

Regardless, he had been deceived.

"Wait… you?" That old voice echoed in his ears once more.

Turning around, he noticed that the demon's hollow eyes were now fixed on him.

"You… you're a demon!" The voice was filled with a mix of shock and excitement.

"A demon?" Arda's mind reeled. There was no one else in the room, so the demon had to be talking about him, right? But he was clearly human.

"I can't believe this. No demon should have been able to pass through my barrier. But you did! This is a miracle!" The voice grew increasingly excited. The demon's body stirred, causing its chains to stretch and groan. Yet, it barely managed to move—those chains bound it tightly, preventing any real movement.

"Please! Please… KILL ME!" it pleaded, its voice desperate.

Arda was taken aback by the request. Was it truly suffering that much? Well… those chains, embedded deep into its flesh, didn't look pleasant.

He didn't yet understand why this being mistook him for a demon. But for now, he decided to play along. It might help him get the answers he needed.

"Why are you like this?" he asked, his tone expressionless.

"I…" The demon started to speak with enthusiasm but then hesitated. Its bare chest rose and fell a few times, and its tense body gradually relaxed. When it finally continued, its voice was calmer. "I was deceived."

…

…

…

From that point on, Arda listened to its story and came to understand the situation.

The demon's name was Umert bin Ourheart—a name unlike any he had ever heard before. It was clear that this creature wasn't from his world. But was that true for all demons, or was it unique to this one? He had no idea.

Apparently, this demon had been residing in this variant zone for a long time. Unlike many of its kind, it wasn't inherently aggressive. It only fed on humans when it was absolutely starving. Umert didn't dwell too much on this detail—perhaps out of fear that Arda, whom it believed to be another demon, might not share the same viewpoint. After all, he could be one of the many demons it referred to.

Arda actually wanted to hear more. Learning about the nature and personalities of demons could prove useful. However, he refrained from asking such questions. It would be like asking a human, "What is a human?"—too suspicious.

Instead, he let the demon continue its story about how it ended up in this state.

One day, a gravely injured human had stumbled to the edge of its territory. Another demon had been pursuing the human. The terror on the human's face had been unmistakable. Umert had realized that if he didn't let the human in, they would surely die. And so, he had made a decision. After all, a wounded prey was the easiest kind. If he let them in, he could always kill and eat them later.

At this point in the story, Umert had paused and muttered, "I should have realized something was off."

The human's behavior had been strange. Of all the places to run, they had chosen a dead-end near a cliff. Instead of desperately fleeing, they had lingered, pacing back and forth as if waiting for something. Then, the moment Umert had allowed them to cross the barrier, they had entered without hesitation. Not even the slightest sign of surprise.

Yet, back then, Umert hadn't noticed any of it. Or rather, he couldn't. Because he, too, had fallen under the influence of Temptation.

Arda hadn't expected that even a demon could be affected by it. If his classification was correct, this demon had to be at least at the Supernatural level. If a being this powerful could fall victim to it, then it was no surprise that an ordinary human like him had succumbed as well.

To Umert, everything had felt natural—saving that human, nursing them back to health, following their lead, allowing himself to be confined in this cage and bound by these chains. It all seemed… right. As if this was the way things were meant to be.

Until those thorned chains dug into his flesh, trapping him in endless agony.

That was when he finally broke free from the influence and realized what had happened. He had been deceived—all so that humans could have a safe place to live.

Arda couldn't help but feel sympathy for him.

He knew what it was like to trust a smiling face. And… he knew what it was like to be betrayed and abandoned by someone he had trusted.

He hadn't expected to be deceived again here. And ironically, once again, it had all stemmed from feelings of romance. Thinking about it filled him with rage. No matter what Bihter's reasons were, she needed to be taught a lesson.

Just then, the demon let out a weary sigh and spoke again. "Even so… I don't want you to make them suffer."

Arda was stunned.

"Them? You mean the humans who imprisoned you?"

The demon nodded. "They're just trying to survive. The outside world has become a terrifying place because of my kind. Living out there is impossible for them. So… I understand why they did what they did."

Arda frowned. He looked at the chains wrapped around the demon's limbs, the thorns embedded deep into its flesh—probably reaching the bone. They might even have effects beyond physical pain. Otherwise, this demon would have torn off a limb to escape by now. He couldn't begin to imagine the agony it was enduring.

Then, he looked around. They were in a dark, empty void. He pictured the demon sitting here for years, alone, in utter silence. Could he endure that? Could he sit here, unable to move, without going insane, without holding onto hatred?

Finally, he turned back to the demon in front of him. Even after all of this, it was still capable of compassion.

'And you expect me to believe this being is evil?'

Arda found the idea absurd.

The demon in the darkness from his first mission had felt truly sinister. But this one… wasn't.

It had admitted to killing humans on occasion, but only out of necessity. It clearly took no pleasure in it. This demon had… a personality.

Arda was new to this world full of unknowns. Everything was a question mark to him. He couldn't yet say whether demons were good or evil. And the same went for humans.

But if he had to choose, he thought he would rather trust the demons. At least with them, what you saw was what you got. Humans, on the other hand… were complete enigmas.

He still had a lot to learn. He would make his decisions accordingly. Because he had a conscience. He couldn't simply kill others for his own benefit.

Now, he had to decide what to do about this demon.

If those empty sockets contained eyes, he was sure they would be filled with hope.

To Umert, his salvation had finally arrived.

This unexpected visitor could end his suffering.

And truthfully, Arda wanted that too. He didn't want this gentle demon—or at least, gentle compared to its kin—to suffer any longer.

Even though he had never killed before, he was ready to do it here.

But he was afraid of what would happen if he did.

"When you die, the protective barrier here will disappear, right?"

"Protective barrier? Ah, do you mean my Grace?"

Arda quickly pieced things together in his mind and realized that the demon referred to his protective barrier as "Grace."

"Yes, that. Will it disappear when you die?"

"Judging by that question, you must be a lower-ranked demon. First of all, would you like to know what Grace truly is? It won't exactly be a fair trade for saving me, but I'd like to offer you some useful knowledge."

For a moment, Arda feared his cover was about to be blown. But thankfully, the demon had jumped to his own conclusion. Maybe he was too focused on his survival to consider alternative explanations. Under normal circumstances, he might have questioned Arda's ignorance further—especially the possibility that he wasn't even one of them.

The demon, with the wisdom of an old soul, began to explain. "Grace was bestowed upon us by our master, #$£€#$£€. To earn this Grace, you must reach the Ascended stage—like I have. Or perhaps it's the other way around… Maybe one must first obtain Grace to ascend. Since both happen simultaneously, I can't say for sure which is correct. But from what I see, you… you are one of the Fallen." His voice softened with understanding. "Poor thing, you must have opened your eyes here without even knowing what you are. Then, you simply followed your instincts. If you had ascended before falling here, you would have retained your memories."

Arda listened in stunned silence. He hadn't expected such a detailed explanation. The name the demon had mentioned at the beginning was incomprehensible to him—it felt less like a word and more like the notes of a song. Even if he tried to repeat it, he doubted he could produce the same sound. It was beyond him.

The concept of the Fallen and the Ascended piqued his curiosity. He began questioning the nature of his situation even more. He had assumed he would simply complete tasks and progress, with demons serving as obstacles along the way. But this demon was telling him there was more to it. Not only did he have an elaborate, grand-sounding name, but he also had a rank. That could only mean one thing—society. A structured group of demons.

So, was this demon part of a demon civilization? Where exactly was that? Was it like their own world, but ruled by demons? If so, why did they appear in missions? Did they, like humans, die and end up in these missions? And if they failed… did they fall into hell?

His mind buzzed with endless questions, and he hoped to find answers.

"My Grace is called 'Veil of the Eyes.' It conceals my domain from anyone I do not allow entry, making it nearly impossible to find. Even if you were to walk right past it, you wouldn't notice. Sounds… a bit cowardly, doesn't it? Haha. Go ahead, you can laugh. I won't be offended."

Arda shook his head. "I think it's a really cool ability. Perfect for living a peaceful life without trouble."

The demon fell silent for a few seconds. Then, with a voice filled with gratitude, he said, "Thank you… Among my kind, it's rare to meet someone as kind as you."

After a brief pause, he continued. "When you ascend, you too will obtain a Grace. Its form and effect will differ, but it will be just as powerful. Of course, its true strength will depend on how you use it. However… since you have fallen here, ascending will be extremely difficult. The only option left is to complete the tasks assigned to us. If you successfully accomplish your missions, you may still ascend. And then—"

Suddenly, his words stopped. His body tensed.

"No…! She's coming!"

Arda immediately went on alert. "Who?"

"That witch!"

Arda instantly understood. "Bihter?"

"Yes! Yes, her! Hurry! If she gets here, it's over! She'll take control of you again—this time, in a way you won't be able to escape! You have to kill me!"

Arda hesitated at those words. He glanced at the darkness behind him. He couldn't see anything there. Last he saw, Bihter had been at the door, talking to him. That meant she was just seconds away from reaching this place!

Though he feared for the fate of this place, he feared for his own fate even more. Yes, he was a kind person—but not kind enough to sacrifice his life for someone he barely knew. If that woman found him alive, she would immediately realize something was off. After all, he had marched straight into death's grasp, yet he was still standing. There had to be a reason.

If she uncovered his secret, it could end badly. She might chain him up, just like she had done to this demon—to make sure the secret stayed buried. And then, he too would be left to rot in a dark room, his bones impaled by thorned chains for eternity. The Ascended demon might be able to endure it, but Arda wasn't sure he could.

Of course, there was another possibility. That woman had used her barrier to protect the people here. Maybe she had a kind heart. Maybe he could talk to her, reason with her, and find a middle ground. Maybe he could convince her of the danger everyone was in.

But… there was no time to consider that possibility.

Arda wasn't the type who could think a million things at once in the span of two seconds. In this moment of crisis, his most primal instinct kicked in—survival. And he knew exactly what he needed to do to survive.

He turned to the demon.

"How do I kill you?"

The demon strained against his chains, trying to reach him. More blood poured from his wounds, and the sound of cracking bones echoed through the room. With a voice filled with agony, he yelled, "Just touch my chest! I can feel an ancient power within you! You can do it!"

Arda didn't fully understand what he meant, but he did as he was told.

He lunged forward and placed his palm on the demon's bare chest.

In an instant, glowing words appeared before his eyes.

[Gluttony Grows Greedy]

[Absorbing Ascended Demon...] 

[Failed]

 [Ascended Demon Still Alive]

"AAGH!" The demon's pained screams echoed through the room. "IT HURTS! THIS POWER! YOU! YOU!" He gritted his skeletal teeth in agony before letting out a desperate cry. "IT DOESN'T MATTER! BEING DEVOURED BY THAT POWER IS BETTER THAN STAYING HERE!"

[Ascended Demon Surrenders to Gluttony]

[Absorbing Ascended Demon...]

"AAAAAAAGGGHHHHH!"

Arda had never heard such a painful scream in his life. But it only lasted a second—because in the very next moment… the demon was gone.

As if he had been sucked into a black hole, his body collapsed inward and vanished.

"What is going on here!?"

A woman's voice rang out behind him.

It was Bihter.

[Success]

[Gluttony Calms]

 [New Ability Acquired: 'Veil of the Eyes']

"NO! YOU! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

Arda quickly snapped out of his shock and turned around to defend himself.

Bihter's beautiful face was twisted with rage and despair. "YOU'VE DOOMED US ALL!"

But before he could hear the rest of her words—

His vision went dark.

He was falling.

Once again, he found himself plummeting into the void.

He recognized this emptiness, this sensation. It always happened in extreme moments.

The first time had been when he decided to end his ruined life.

The second had been when he was deceived and killed.

Now that the crisis had passed, he let himself fall freely, preparing to process everything that had happened.

But his thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the glowing words that appeared before him.

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Incredible! You're returning to Araf after killing a demon on your first mission! And not just any demon—an Ascended one!

Despite having only just arrived, you have achieved an impossible feat!

As a reward for this impossible achievement, you have earned the right to skip one mission!

Now, good luck with your next mission! Hopefully, this time, you'll last a bit longer!

⚠ Warning ⚠

You must use your mission skip within the first 30 minutes of the next mission.

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