Chapter 37. The Demon King Is Watching (2)

He appears.

Everywhere he looks.

Even when he turns his head.

Now, he keeps seeing him.

No—more precisely...

He sees only him.

"........"

Hartok shut his mouth.

The reason was simple.

If he dazedly left his mouth open, he might blurt out some dumb line like, 'Ah, my Lord!' without realizing it.

"......"

It's ridiculous.

Utterly stupid.

Foolish and absurd.

He couldn't believe it himself.

And yet, for some unknown reason,

'I can't... stop doing this…..'

And it was driving him crazy.

It was at that moment.

"Ah, it's the Chief Captain!"

"Chief Captain! We're hilling up the soil as the Demon King instructed… is this the right way to do it?"

"Please take a look!"

Just when he was getting lost in a crisis of identity(?), the farming corps members spotted him and called out cheerfully. Their attitude only confused Hartok further.

"......"

Low-ranking demons calling out to him so cheerfully.

It was something unimaginable in the past.

He was one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

A ruler.

An object of fear.

Whenever such a being as himself appeared, low-ranking demons would slam their foreheads to the ground and barely breathe.

That was only natural.

The Abandoned Land was a world where power was law. The will of the strong overruled all rules. In this place, he held the power of life and death over all low-ranking demons.

But now, things are different.

No, that power over life and death was still the same.

And yet, the attitude of those low-ranking demons…

"Chief Captain! It's too hard to get a job here!"

"Is it okay to cover just this much soil?"

"......"

Like baby birds chirping with beaks wide open, begging their mother for food. They were all calling out to him in that same desperate manner. Some even had smiles at the corners of their lips.

.....Glance.

Hartok subtly shifted his gaze.

There stood his Demon King, Credos.

And perhaps the Demon King sensed his glance.

…..Wink.

His Lord gave him a sly wink!

"....."

Kuwaang.

That wink was a signal of approval(?).

In other words, it meant to do as he'd been subtly instructed earlier.

"Ahem, ahem!"

Receiving the Lord's signal, Hartok cleared his throat with exaggerated dignity. Then he walked toward the farming corps members who had been calling out to him so earnestly.

"So, what seems to be the reason everyone is looking for me so eagerly?"

"Hilling is hard!"

"This stem, is it okay to just cover this much?"

The farming corps members asked one after another with troubled expressions. Each of them was pointing at the base of the potato stems they had been tending.

"Hmm."

Hartok inspected the area.

A small mound of earth was piled up around the bottom of the potato stem.

It seemed the farming corps members had just built it.

Looking at it reminded him of the knowledge the Demon King had whispered to him earlier, stressing over and over to memorize it well.

"Hmm, it looks like you all covered it well enough."

"R-Really?" The farming corps member brightened.

Hartok nodded.

"This is everyone's first time doing hilling, so of course it would feel awkward and confusing. But what is the purpose of hilling? Isn't it to prevent the growing baby potatoes underground from emerging and being exposed to sunlight?"

"Y-Yes, that's right!"

"Exactly. If baby potatoes are exposed to direct sunlight, they turn green and develop a sharp taste along with toxins, rendering them inedible. To prevent that, we pile soil high over the growing potatoes—this is hilling."

"Yes, that's exactly it."

"Then, the soil over this stem—how does it look to you?"

"It looks... just right?"

"I agree. Excellent. Continue just like this."

"Th-Thank you!"

The gazes of the farming corps members as they looked at him.

All of them sparkled brightly.

They radiated open admiration and respect.

As if shouting, 'As expected! Our wise Chief Captain!'

"........"

Zzzzt...

An intangible thrill surged through Hartok's chest.

And once more, he felt it keenly.

The Demon King's thoughtfulness toward him.

'Honestly, I didn't even know what hilling was.'

He didn't even know such a thing existed.

But the Demon King had called him aside.

And gave him a lecture on hilling.

Thanks to that, he learned it.

And now, he was able to show off his knowledge proudly in front of the farming corps members.

And yet, the Demon King didn't show the slightest hint.

As if he had never taught Hartok anything!

"......"

Ah, Demon King Credos.

My Lord.

I did not know.

The depth of your intentions.

The kindness you held.

Without knowing any of it, I dared to harbor impure thoughts toward you—please, I beg your forgiveness.

With gratitude and a tingling sense of vanity, Hartok patrolled the potato field. Every time, the farming corps members chirped "Chief Captain!" like baby birds. And every time, Hartok's cerebral cortex erupted with dopamine bursts, as expected.

And Kim Jangcheol watched Hartok silently, without blinking even once.

Ding dong!

A refreshing notification sound.

Accompanied by a rising message.

[Skill "Bloodshot Eyes (Lv.1)" has activated.]

[Target of Observation: Hartok]

[You grasp Hartok's current state and psychological trends, and predict his emotional shifts for the next six hours.]

[Hartok is in a highly elated emotional state. Having been starved of social validation, he is now drenched in dopamine. He will tirelessly and enthusiastically patrol the potato field until there is no one left seeking his attention today.]

"Ha."

A chuckle escaped.

Perfect.

Just right.

'Who would've thought Hartok had a side like that?'

He thought Hartok was just a schemer.

The one with the most brutal patterns in the game.

He assumed the guy was cold-blooded and arrogant. He never expected Hartok to be someone he could sway or bond with.

He didn't even have the expectation.

'Maybe I should say… it was a bit unexpected.'

To think he was actually an elite, starving for recognition.

It was a surprisingly human side.

He used that.

Like scratching an itch gently. Or quietly reaching out to someone flustered over an insufficient transit card balance.

All he did was lightly praise him.

But the result was far greater than expected.

'And being able to confirm the effect immediately—makes it even better.'

Kim Jangcheol rubbed his bloodshot eyelids with the back of his hand, smiling in satisfaction.

Somehow, he ended up acquiring the skill "Bloodshot Eyes."

The more he used it, the more useful it became.

Not only could he forecast the weather, but the ability to grasp the mental states of people around him in real time was incredibly convenient.

Of course, it wasn't without its downsides.

….Tadadak, tak, tadak, tak...!

As he rubbed his eyelids, a strange sound came from beside him. Curious, he turned to look—and there was Asurat, face pale as a sheet.

".....What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing."

"Nothing, my ass. Why do you keep clacking your teeth like that right next to me? It's annoying."

"Uh, well, it's just a bit cold…"

"Cold, my foot. The sun's right overhead."

"......."

"Is it because of me?"

"No, sir!"

Asurat answered with a start.

It was clearly because of him.

Most likely, it was because...

"Is it because I keep staring at Hartok? Do I look weird to you when I do that?"

"N-No, not at all."

"Really? Then why aren't you doing any hilling?"

"Excuse me?"

"The hilling work that everyone else is doing—why aren't you doing it?"

"Uh, I was… just doing it…"

"You were? And now?"

".....I'll get back to it."

Asurat slumped his shoulders and trudged back toward the field. Watching his back, he couldn't help but think—

"Stop."

He called the guy back.

Then gave a command.

"Stand right there and don't move."

"Sorry, what?"

"Tsk."

"......"

Asurat stood there, fidgeting awkwardly.

Once known as the Paladin of Blood, one of the most fearsome of the Four Heavenly Kings.

He stared at the guy intently.

Bloodshot eyes.

For 200 seconds.

"......"

Asurat's face grew even paler under that gaze.

But he didn't care.

And finally—

Ding dong!

[Skill "Bloodshot Eyes (Lv.1)" has activated.]

[Target of Observation: Asurat]

[You grasp Asurat's current state and psychological trends, and predict his emotional shifts for the next six hours.]

[Asurat is emotionally withdrawn, feeling fearful of you. Also, he is currently thinking about how his legs hurt from repeatedly standing and squatting during the hilling work. In the near future, he will clutch his aching legs and blame himself, wondering why, with his regenerative powers, he still can't endure the pain.]

"......"

Again, it was a bit unexpected.

Kim Jangcheol furrowed his brows as he looked at the results from the Bloodshot Eyes skill.

'What the hell. This guy Asurat's a big baby?'

An absurdly high regeneration rate that put all other demons to shame. A brutal, face-to-face combat style like a berserker.

So he'd thought maybe this guy didn't even feel pain.

But once peeled back(?), the truth was the opposite.

'This guy… was secretly whining inside every time it hurt or got hard?'

It sure seemed that way.

He let out a baffled laugh.

"Hey, Asurat."

"Y-Yes?"

"You don't wanna get struck by lightning, right?"

"...."

"You don't, right? I know you don't."

"......"

"That's why I'm saying this. If you do all the hilling from here to over there by yourself today, I'll give you a lightning rod exemption pass until tomorrow."

"...Excuse me?"

"I mean, wouldn't it be better to do farm work and have sore knees than be hanging on a lightning rod getting zapped? Don't you think?"

"Y-Yes... I guess?"

"Right?"

"Y-Yes."

Thump... thump...

Asurat found himself feeling oddly excited, heart pounding with anticipation.

And suddenly, he thought—

'Huh, why? Why is he making me this kind of offer… Why is he being nice to me?'

Was he trying to bait him into something again?

Or maybe he just ate something weird?

He couldn't figure it out.

Couldn't predict it.

But there was one thing he was sure of.

And that was: if he did the hilling work well today, he wouldn't get struck by lightning until tomorrow.

".....I'll get started right away!"

With a surge of motivation, Asurat began piling soil around the base of the potato stems. He worked tirelessly, sweat beading and dripping down as the sunlight ripened his labor and sincerity.

Time passed.

Several additional rounds of hilling were completed.

And finally, flowers bloomed in the potato field.

A sense of awe bloomed in the eyes of the farming corps members as well.

'Flowers….'

'So many flowers…'

'I never thought I'd ever say this, but…'

They were beautiful.

They were lovely.

So much so, it was hard to believe.

This was the Abandoned Land where nothing could grow.

The land they had lived on, believing it to be barren.

They had tilled it, thinking it was a futile hope.

They had wondered so many times if this was even possible.

So many doubts.

Even more impatience.

So many days spent anxious and uneasy.

Sometimes they prayed for sprouts to emerge.

Worried if the stems might collapse.

Worried they'd greet a season without a single harvest.

Worried that a flicker of hope might turn into bitter regret.

Their hearts had ached watching their families go hungry.

But now, it is different.

Tears fell, tears of joy.

"......!"

Hand in hand.

Some embraced each other.

They welcomed the flowers blooming in the field.

The farming corps members.

Even the cold-hearted Four Heavenly Kings.

Everyone, as one.

And watching all that, Kim Jangcheol spoke up.

"Hey, what are you all doing? Pick the flowers."

"......."

"Why are you staring at me like that? Pick them. If you don't, those damn flowers are just gonna suck up all the nutrients meant for the baby potatoes, you know?"

"......"

"Pretty doesn't put food on the table."

"......"

A splash of cold water on their moment of awe.

A slap across the face of sentiment.

They all suddenly realized, once again—

Their Demon King was a ruthless efficiency maniac.

[T/L: Read more chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]