Chapter 2: How to Fix Nitrogen (1)

"From now on, we will... stop the invasion and start farming!"

A loud roar.

A declaration just as clear.

Kim Jangcheol's shout shook the Hall of Destruction. It struck the ears of every demon in the army, poking at their eardrums and digging into their minds, waking them up. A wave of confusion spread through them, wondering what the hell was going on.

"....What was that?"

"What did I just hear....?"

"Really...?"

Was this real?

Is it true?

A joke?

Or was it serious?

No.

The Demon King Credos was no one to make jokes, not even as a mere empty word, for he was a legendary tyrant with a demonic charisma like no other.

"What is this... nonsense!"

Having received Kim Jangcheol's words, the Four Heavenly Kings finally realized what was happening, and they instinctively roared in unison. They knew that the Demon King Credos would never make such a declaration as a joke, which made it all the more shocking. They were filled with rage. It erupted.

"What is this!"

"After all that time preparing for the great invasion!"

"Why?!"

"Kuwoooo!"

Blood Flame Asurat's veins were bulging. Four ice blades shot out of the body of the Blade of Extreme Cold, Sirgi. The Archduke of Fog, Hartok, exhaled black killing intent through his fog. The Black Boulder Tyrant, Baal, grew three times his size in an instant.

Under normal circumstances, the Four Heavenly Kings would never have dared to act this way in front of the Demon King Credos. But right now, the situation is far from normal. The shock, anger, and killing intent that they felt in that moment were too overwhelming to care about being cautious in front of the Demon King.

…..Whooosh!

The intense killing intent from the Four Heavenly Kings erupted. The cold, lethal atmosphere was directed straight at Kim Jangcheol, standing on the balcony.

Was it because of this?

'N-no... What?'

Kim Jangcheol felt his breath freeze in his chest. He was scared. The sight of the Four Heavenly Kings, who were showing their true killing intent, was terrifying beyond belief. It was enough to make any horror movie look like a children's cartoon.

The moment he faced them, his breath caught in his throat. Without realizing it, his eyebrows twitched, his forehead wrinkled in terror, and his mouth hung open. His eyes widened in fear.

It was because of this?

'N-no?'

The Four Heavenly Kings felt a chill run down their spines. The overwhelming presence of Demon King Credos, towering over them, with his piercing gaze and sheer dominance, was terrifying.

The moment they faced him, their breath caught. Cold sweat dripped down their faces. The rising rage and killing intent quickly evaporated all at once. They realized with a shiver that they had temporarily lost their composure and crossed the line.

Once again, was it because of this?

"This is my declaration. All of you, disband!"

Taking advantage of the hesitation of the Four Heavenly Kings, Kim Jangcheol quickly finished his speech. He spun around and disappeared inside the balcony.

"....."

The Four Heavenly Kings were left in stunned silence. The demon army, suddenly dejected, fell into an awkward silence that spread throughout the Hall of Destruction.

♠

"Credos! He's scared!"

Crash!

A stone table shattered in a single blow. The fist that struck it revealed blood-red veins, as Asurat spoke to the others gathered in the conference room.

"No, he's weakened. That's why he's afraid and stopped the invasion!"

"...."

The other Four Heavenly Kings silently listened as Asurat's blood-spitting roar continued.

"So now, it's not the time to be standing here!"

"What do you propose we do?"

Another silent Four Heavenly King, Sirgi, asked.

A manic killing intent flickered in Asurat's eyes.

"We need to join forces. We take his head. After all, Credos became the Demon King by taking the head of the previous Demon King!"

"..."

"Isn't that obvious? The strong become the Demon King. That's the long-established rule written in blood on this forsaken land!"

"....."

The other Four Heavenly Kings silently nodded. It was true; Asurat's words made sense. Moreover, the declaration that Credos had made today was difficult for them to accept.

Stopping the invasion of the human world.

Wanting to peacefully farm.

What kind of madness was that?

Asurat's instigation continued.

"Think about how much we've poured our hearts into preparing for this invasion. And now, Credos has overturned it all with a single word. This isn't rational. Why did he do it? The more I think about it, the clearer the answer becomes."

"Credos, now that the invasion is about to begin, must be afraid of fighting the humans?"

"Exactly."

The Archduke of Fog, Hartok, asked.

Asurat's eyes gleamed sharply.

The Black Boulder Tyrant, Baal, silently thought.

'...Ah, I'm hungry.'

In the meantime, Asurat's arguments continued.

"He's weakened, I'm sure of it. He's lost confidence in his own strength. That's why he's showing this pathetic behavior now."

"But what if he hasn't weakened?"

Hartok asked.

Asurat paused.

"Isn't that the reality? If we act on a hunch, there are too many uncertainties. What if, contrary to your prediction, Credos hasn't weakened? In that case, even if we all attack him at once, at least two of us would definitely die or be severely injured."

"Yeah, I think so too. But, Asurat? If you go ahead and be the meat shield, maybe I'll consider cooperating."

Sirgi chimed in, supporting Hartok.

Asurat snapped, shouting.

"You... pathetic cowards! What if the proof comes that Credos has weakened?"

"Then will you follow my advice?"

"....."

The Four Heavenly Kings fell silent.

They looked at each other.

What if Asurat was right?

What if Credos had really weakened?

Then...

".....We'll have to kill him."

A cruel smile of the same color spread across their faces.

♠

"…The Four Heavenly Kings are openly conspiring such a scheme."

"…"

"Additionally, due to the sudden and unplanned halt of the invasion, the army's morale has plummeted to rock bottom. Internal violence and illegal cannibalism among our own kind are rapidly increasing."

"All this resentment and disappointment is spreading like a plague within the army, and everyone is pointing to you, my Lord, as the cause."

"…"

"If things continue like this, it's likely that should the Four Heavenly Kings rebel, the majority of our forces will side with them, not you, my Lord."

"…"

The report from Zephyros, the adjutant, continued calmly.

Every word was unrelentingly grim. Each time he heard it, Kim Jangcheol felt his shoulders tremble ever so slightly.

But the parade of despair and gloom in the report wasn't over yet.

"And here… this is a recording sent by Grand General Ozma, who was overseeing the borders of the grave of the Paladin."

Shrrrk.

Zephyros, kneeling on one knee, extended a crystal orb.

Soon, the orb lit up.

The image began to play.

–…Kkeuaaaagh!

Squelch!

The moment the footage began, a horrific scream burst out of the orb as if it were about to shatter. Then, a chilling thud of something heavy slamming down upon a target.

"…!"

Kim Jangcheol's eyes widened, capturing every frame of the video.

It was—

'Aged Kimchi?'

The very protagonist he had raised through 19 repetitions. Aged Kimchi, with a flawless muscular physique, was swinging a glittery heart-shaped girl magic wand. Repeatedly striking—again and again—the head of Grand General Ozma, who had sent the recording.

– P-please! Sp—sparing—! Guh! Gah…!

Smack! Splat! Crack!

Each time the heart wand struck, the image flickered and distorted. Blood splattered in every direction, soaking Aged Kimchi's face and clothes. Yet his expression remained cold and emotionless. There was no trace of nobility in exterminating the demon race. No sense of duty to punish evil.

It was nothing more than the mechanical slaughter of a machine honed to perfection.

– Wa-wait! Wha—what are you…! Gaaaaaah! My eyes! My eyyyyyes! Don't! Don't doooo thaaAAAARGH!

"…"

As Grand General Ozma's eyeballs were torn out, silence fell like a shroud of death. And just before the footage ended, Kim Jangcheol felt, inexplicably, as though Aged Kimchi had made eye contact with him through the orb.

And he realized—

'That bastard… he's still wearing the costume I gave him in the 19th round.'

The old veteran bunny princess magical girl outfit.

How proud he'd felt when he put that on him.

But now?

It only made things more terrifying.

Because he fully understood what it meant that the costume he'd equipped in the 19th round was still intact.

'That bastard… he still has everything from the character I raised in the 19th round—his level 9990, his skill set, his gear… all of it.'

…Chills.

There was absolutely no way to win.

He must never confront him.

He had to stay hidden to survive.

"…Phew."

His vision darkened for a moment.

Of all things, why did he have to end up in the body of this kind of Demon King, rather than the ultimate character he'd raised with such care? And now, he had to live in constant fear of getting beaten to death by that same character.

Could there be anything more unfair? Anything more hopeless than this?

If he invaded the human realm—Aged Kimchi would kill him.

If he refused the Grand Invasion—the Four Heavenly Kings would kill him.

And if he tried to secretly flee?

He'd still be hunted down and killed by the Four Heavenly Kings.

After all, they'd want to raise his severed head as proof of their claim to the Demon King's throne.

'...'

No matter how he thought about it, there was only one option: to face it head-on. He had to farm. Feed everyone, somehow. Then perhaps he could suppress their discontent.

So—

"Let me get some fresh air."

Hiding his now-pale expression, Kim Jangcheol rose from the throne and stepped out of the Demon King's castle. He surveyed the nearby land.

"…"

The sky dyed a deep, bloody red.

And beneath it, a barren wasteland.

A landscape far removed from any notion of fertility.

Suddenly, he recalled the in-game lore of Paladin of Blood.

'Right… there was a reason this place was called the Abandoned Land.'

A place where nothing could grow.

A literal land of punishment.

And so, the demon race was said to always be hungry. Cursed with endless hunger like original sin, surviving by preying on each other.

Then—

"My Lord… surely… you aren't serious?"

Zephyros' voice pierced through the haze of thought. He turned to look at him. Zephyros, who had silently followed him, offering his unyielding support. That characteristically cold gaze now carried a trace of doubt.

"You said you would farm. Surely… you're not actually intending to go through with it?"

"I just don't understand."

"..."

Naturally.

Nothing can grow in this land. That's what's been established. That's what everyone believes. So to claim he'd farm here must sound like the ravings of a lunatic.

Zephyros continued.

"Even the former Demon Kings, including yourself, once attempted farming in this land."

"…Did I?"

"Yes. Without a doubt."

Of course.

So that's how it was.

"Regardless, you must have come to realize it through those failed attempts. The utterly barren soil… the violently fluctuating temperatures even within a single day… the harsh reality that nothing can grow in this land."

"Well, that's true."

Kim Jangcheol nodded.

Zephyros was right.

Even at a glance, this was a wasteland among wastelands. You'd have better luck growing beans in a desert.

Still, giving up wasn't an option. If he did, all that awaited him was death.

Therefore—

"I'm doing it. No matter what. And I can do it."

"…Excuse me?"

"It might've been impossible for the former Demon Kings… for the old Cre— for the former me… but for me now, it might not be."

"What… do you mean by that?"

Zephyros looked genuinely puzzled.

To him, Kim Jangcheol smiled faintly—for the first time today.

'With the knowledge I built in the lab… with the skills of Demon King Credos that will be fueled by that knowledge… even this despair-ridden land, devoid of nutrients, should be able to retain a minimal amount of nitrogen.'

That alone would be enough to take the first step toward a successful harvest.

…Crack!

Nitrogen—an essential element for plant growth.

The method to fix it into the soil.

The Demon King's combat skill that would turn that feat into reality—

'That would be… Credos' signature technique—Bloody Lightning.'

A streak of certainty ran through Kim Jangcheol's tightly clenched fist.