Episode 669

Zeke furrowed his brow, glaring at Mephistopheles.

“Is this some kind of twisted joke from the underworld?”

Mephistopheles shook his head, responding with a calm demeanor.

“A joke? Hardly. Zeke Draker, I’m quite serious. I want you to father a child with one of my daughters. That’s the price for the information you seek.”

He smiled, watching Zeke intently, then shrugged nonchalantly.

“Is there no one among them that catches your fancy? Or perhaps you want all three? If that’s the case, I can arrange it. The more, the merrier, after all.”

Zeke felt a headache coming on from the absurdity of the proposal. Without a moment’s hesitation, he replied.

“I refuse.”

Mephistopheles widened his eyes in mock surprise, studying Zeke.

“Why? I’m offering you valuable information in exchange for a child. Isn’t that a fair trade?”

Zeke’s eyes narrowed, his voice laced with menace.

“Do you think I’d trust a demon like you? Who knows what you’re plotting. Get lost.”

Mephistopheles chuckled, shaking his head.

“My, my, Zeke Draker, you’re more naive than I thought.”

Possessing Anastasia’s body, Mephistopheles approached Zeke, lifting his chin with a finger.

“Surely you don’t believe in some romantic notion of true love and children born from it, like ordinary humans do?”

His smile was devilish as he continued.

“If you fail to stop the Demon King’s resurrection and Arthur Draker, the world will end. But if you succeed…”

With a snap of his fingers, a mirror appeared, showing a vision of the central continent ravaged by disasters and monstrous creatures.

Zeke watched the apocalyptic scene in silence.

“This could all become reality. But if you and my daughter have a child, the rights could pass to your offspring.”

Zeke grimaced, understanding the implication.

“So you’d become the child’s guardian and meddle in the mortal realm officially.”

Mephistopheles grinned.

“Exactly. For my precious grandchild, I’d descend to protect the crumbling continent. It’s a kind of insurance against your failure, Zeke Draker.”

Zeke scoffed at the demon’s words.

“You’d use that as an excuse to turn the mortal realm into a den of demons, claiming legitimate rights to avoid karmic retribution. That’s why you made me a lord of this realm, isn’t it?”

Mephistopheles clapped his hands, laughing heartily.

“You’re sharp, Zeke. It’s a win-win for you. If you agree, we can proceed with the wedding immediately. What do you say?”

Zeke’s gaze was unwavering as he replied.

“My answer remains the same. Get out.”

Mephistopheles shrugged, nodding slightly at Zeke’s firm refusal.

“Surprising. I thought any human would jump at my offer. Some even sell their souls for a chance with a demon.”

He crossed his arms, addressing Zeke.

“At least you’re not as foolish as those. But Zeke Draker, this isn’t something you can decide on your own.”

Zeke chuckled derisively.

“Are you planning to force your terms? That’s not very demon-like of you.”

He drew his sword, Levatein, as Mephistopheles shook his head.

“Of course not. Forcing terms isn’t my style. I’m here to help you change your mind.”

Mephistopheles’s eyes glinted with a cold, violet light as he spoke.

“If you don’t accept, I’ll tame you myself and make you my consort.”

A powerful aura erupted from Mephistopheles, the might of a demon lord, the strongest in the underworld.

Zeke met the demon’s force with his own, the aura of a celestial being clashing fiercely.

Unlike the celestial beings who descended into angelic bodies, Mephistopheles’s presence in Anastasia’s form was raw and direct.

‘Is this the true form of a great demon?’

The overwhelming pressure felt like it could tear his soul apart. Zeke steadied his breath, focusing his transcendent power.

Resisting Mephistopheles’s aura, Zeke gripped Levatein tightly, drawing Solomon’s chains with his left hand.

He glared at Mephistopheles, speaking with resolve.

“Do you really think you can tame me? Your head will roll before that happens.”

Mephistopheles trembled with laughter at Zeke’s threat.

“Ha! Well said, Zeke Draker! It’s a rare treat to be threatened by a human in the mortal realm.”

With cold, violet eyes, Mephistopheles looked down at Zeke.

“Humans may act tough, but they always submit in the end. I’ve lived for eons. Do you think I can’t make you submit?”

He stepped closer, and countless mirrors in his domain reflected Zeke’s image, as if the space itself was watching him.

Mephistopheles spoke again.

“So, Zeke Draker, will you submit and be tamed, or marry my daughter? The choice is obvious.”

This was the demon’s tactic: present a difficult and an easy choice, letting the victim feel they have freedom. Most would choose the easier path.

Mephistopheles was confident Zeke would choose the marriage, but he was wrong.

Just then, the demon’s domain blurred, as if painted over with another scene.

Mephistopheles’s expression shifted to one of shock.

‘What is this?’

Zeke’s domain, the “Vanished Stage,” overlaid Mephistopheles’s own. The scene was one Mephistopheles knew well.

He gritted his teeth, recognizing the cityscape.

“Babel…”

The city of Babel, once the pinnacle of demonic splendor, now the foundation of Pandemonium, was recreated in its prime.

Zeke, standing above the city, addressed Mephistopheles.

“Does it bring back memories?”

Mephistopheles’s expression was now cold and hard as he glared at Zeke.

“You choose the hard path?”

“Choosing isn’t up to you. I’m not naive enough to accept a demon’s choices at face value.”

Marrying a demon princess and having a child with a demon lord as guardian might seem advantageous, but it meant surrendering the mortal realm to demons.

Knowing Mephistopheles’s plan, Zeke had no reason to comply.

He pointed Levatein at Mephistopheles.

“If I kill you, the rights to the underworld pass to me. Pandemonium, Abyss, Gehenna—all of it.”

With most of the underworld under Mephistopheles’s control, killing him would give Zeke dominion over it all.

Mephistopheles laughed incredulously.

“Kill me and take the underworld? You, a human?”

Zeke advanced, shadows swirling around him.

“Why not? If you can covet the mortal realm, why can’t I covet the underworld? It might be worth it.”

Mephistopheles’s aura surged like a storm, shaking the recreated Babel.

He glared at Zeke, his voice a growl.

“You’ve crossed the line, Zeke Draker.”

“The one who crossed the line is you, damn demon. Now it’s my turn to set the terms.”

Zeke leveled his sword at Mephistopheles, ready for the confrontation.

“First option: you die by my hand, relinquish all your power, and vanish. Second option: you give me information on Arthur Draker and quietly return to the demon realm.”

Mephistopheles’ aura flared violently at Zeke’s words.

Rumble!

The elegant structures of Babel crumbled as if under siege, yet Zeke remained unfazed, pressing Mephistopheles further.

“Can’t decide? Perfect. That means I can just kill you here and now. You came alone, possessing a mere avatar, and dared to face me.”

Zeke grinned at Mephistopheles, activating Overclock to unleash his full divine power.

Boom!

The complete force of a mythic-class being was revealed, leaving Mephistopheles stunned. He hadn’t anticipated Zeke’s power to have grown so formidable. Moreover, Mephistopheles had yet to fully recover from recent battles with other demon lords.

‘I underestimated him.’

He had overlooked the fact that Zeke was unlike other humans.

As Zeke approached, radiating a brilliant light, Mephistopheles glared at him before retreating and calming his energy.

“Whoa, whoa. Let’s not get too excited.”

He hesitated, then spoke to Zeke.

“Fine. Given the circumstances, the second option seems more reasonable.”

In the end, Mephistopheles chose to avoid a direct confrontation with Zeke.

Zeke, observing Mephistopheles’ decision, spoke again.

“You like contracts, don’t you? You know I don’t trust mere words.”

With that, a translucent contract appeared before Mephistopheles, its terms ready to be etched into his very soul.

Faced with this humiliating situation, Mephistopheles momentarily grimaced at the contract Zeke presented.

“This human…”

“If you don’t like it, you can always choose the first option.”

The demon lord found himself in a situation entirely contrary to his intentions. Reluctantly, he signed the contract to avoid immediate conflict.

‘There are other ways to deal with him. For now, I need to get out of here.’

As the contract was completed, the souls of the demon lord and Zeke resonated, sealing the agreement.

Now, Mephistopheles had no choice but to maintain an alliance with Zeke.

Zeke addressed him once more.

“Now, tell me about Arthur Draker.”

Despite the humiliation, Mephistopheles had no choice but to respond.

He slowly began to speak.

“Arthur Draker seeks to become the king of the demon realm.”