Astaroth pointed to the ground.
Though it was only for a moment, the demons all looked stunned, their expressions blank. But as if they suddenly grasped the meaning, every single one of them frowned, as if to say, “This can’t be happening.”
“Demon of Wrath, are you insane? After what happened last time…”
Lucifer asked with genuine concern in his voice. But from the listener’s perspective, it was hardly comforting. Astaroth’s face slowly twisted in irritation.
“Are these guys for real…?”
“Enough. Everyone, quiet.”
At that moment, Satan, who had been silent until now, stepped forward swiftly and quelled the commotion. After turning off the still-playing footage, he fixed his gaze steadily on Astaroth.
“First of all… I think it’s better if we hear him out.”
Satan knew exactly what kind of demon Astaroth was.
Proud and hot-tempered, yes, but Astaroth was a Great Demon, holding the first seat among the Seven Great Demons. The ‘Demon of Wrath’ had never acted without purpose.
Sure, there had been disastrous failures—like the last failed ‘Hell Conquest of this Whole Plane’ plan—but those were unexpected setbacks.
Astaroth had once ruled a hell from another dimension and wielded a formidable black flame that no one could rival. For such a demon to be defeated in a hell made entirely of fire was something no one had anticipated.
Anyway.
“Speak, Astaroth.”
Satan clasped his hands together, signaling he was ready to listen. The other demons followed suit, adjusting their attitudes accordingly. Seeing Satan take this stance even Astaroth felt his own tension ease.
“Hmm. Shall we begin?”
After clearing his throat once or twice, Astaroth finally spoke.
“You all know about the Hell Duke who rules this Whole Plane’s hell, right?”
They’d heard the name, but few knew the details. After Mephistopheles died and Astaroth fled in disgrace, all they really knew was that the Duke was incredibly powerful.
“From our last conquest attempt, we managed to learn a bit about the structure of this Whole Plane’s hell.”
Astaroth continued his explanation.
“In short, it’s divided into eight sections. Starting from the lowest, there’s the Living Hell where the weaklings roam, then the Black Rope, the Congregation, the Wailing, the Great Wailing, the Scorching Heat, the Great Scorching Heat… and finally, the Unceasing Hell.”
“Astaroth, wait. How far did you get last time?”
“Up to the Scorching Heat Hell.”
“Scorching Heat… that’s the sixth section, right? So you can move freely between sections?”
Astaroth nodded at Satan’s question. Though not certain, the circumstances suggested as much.
“My plan starts with taking over the first section, the Living Hell…”
“Enough with the details. Get to the point.”
As Astaroth was calmly explaining, Baal rolled his eyes and puffed out his cheeks in impatience. Astaroth clicked his tongue and shrugged. Baal, known as the ‘Cruel Destroyer’ and ‘King of the East,’ was second only to Satan in rank and influence.
“Fine. I’ll cut to the chase. The plan is to somehow lure the Hell Duke from the Unceasing section all the way down to the Living Hell and eliminate him there.”
Finally, the core of the plan was revealed. The demons listening closely showed a variety of reactions.
“Eliminate the Hell Duke… in hell? You mean kill him outright?”
Lilith spoke, clearly confused. Astaroth gave her a look of utter disdain.
“What nonsense are you spouting? How do you think we’d kill that guy?”
“Wait, you…!”
“We’re still talking about the sections, so don’t jump to conclusions. And just so you know, the Hell Duke can’t be killed. Especially not on his home turf.”
“What? What did you say?”
“No, wait, I take that back. It’s not that he can’t be killed… hmm. If the four of us—me, Satan, Lucifer, and Baal—attack together, we might stand a chance. Hell doesn’t have the same power restrictions as the middle realm.”
“…”
Though Astaroth spoke dismissively, Lilith was left speechless. She’d missed her chance to argue.
Four Great Demons attacking together? And with all their power unleashed?
Astaroth’s assessment of the Hell Duke sent a shockwave through the demons. They all knew Astaroth’s pride was unshakable, so this was no exaggeration.
“Quiet.”
Once again, a low voice silenced the room. Satan was just as surprised, but he knew the important thing was whether the plan could succeed.
“So… when you say ‘eliminate,’ you mean within a single plane or dimension?”
“Exactly.”
“Then taking over the Living Hell is just the first step in preparation.”
“That’s right! I knew you’d understand.”
Astaroth clapped his hands happily.
But Satan’s expression remained doubtful, as if something was bothering him.
“Hmm. I get what you mean…”
He fell into deep thought, shaking his head.
“Of course, we’ll have to accept some risks. But even so, your plan has a major flaw, Astaroth.”
Breaking into hell isn’t impossible. It’s not easy to pierce dimensions, but since it’s the same world and they’ve done it before, it’s safe to say that part is feasible.
The real problem starts after that.
“Do you really think the Hell Duke will move the way you expect?”
The Hell Duke was so powerful that even four Great Demons couldn’t guarantee victory. Do you think such a being wouldn’t notice what’s happening in his own domain?
“To get from Unceasing to Living Hell, you have to pass through seven sections. And there’s no guarantee the Duke will come quietly to the area we’ve prepared.”
“Heh heh heh. Exactly.”
At that moment, a flicker of something passed through Satan’s eyes. Despite pointing out the plan’s weakness, Astaroth’s gaze remained confident. Satan decided to hear more.
Astaroth spoke slowly.
“Listen. He sees us as prey.”
“That’s just your assumption…”
“No, no. This is something I learned during the last hell conquest. The Hell Duke has an obsession with fire. Call it greed, if you will.”
“Fire?”
“Yeah. Do you know how your Mephistopheles died?”
“…”
Of course, they didn’t. None had witnessed it firsthand.
But there was a demon here who had faced the Hell Duke directly and seen his subordinate’s demise.
“He was eaten.”
“…Eaten?”
“Yeah. The Hell Duke literally devoured Mephistopheles. Because he possessed the same power of fire.”
“How do you know that?”
“After eating Mephistopheles, the Duke said this: ‘Hmm. I expected more, but that’s not a very impressive flame.’”
“…”
“He also looked at me and said, ‘Can you live up to my expectations?’ Then he chased me to the death.”
“…Ha.”
Someone sighed. It wasn’t sadness exactly, but the thought of a fellow demon reduced to mere prey was unsettling.
Silence fell.
As Astaroth paused to pull out a fresh cigarette, Satan licked his lips.
“So… you’re saying you want to use bait.”
Astaroth, just lighting the cigarette, nodded emphatically.
As Astaroth agreed, the other demons exchanged glances and murmured among themselves.
They understood the idea of luring the Duke with bait, but that didn’t mean there were no problems.
Mephistopheles, now a fine meal, was known as the ‘Mad Flame’—one of the strongest among the fourteen demon lords. To catch the Hell Duke’s attention, the bait would have to be at least that powerful.
But who?
Who could possibly play that role?
“I… I can’t control fire…” Lilith glanced away nervously, trailing off. When she looked at Satan, her eyes suddenly widened like lanterns. Satan was already glaring fiercely across the camp.
Satan spoke.
“Are you serious?”
“Huff. Do I look like I’m joking?”
Faced with the sharp question, Lilith exhaled smoke and chuckled nervously. Her gaze involuntarily shifted toward the opposite side.
And Lilith—
“Here…”
Astaroth’s finger, which had been pointing to the ground earlier,
“…there’s the perfect bait.”
This time, she was pointing at herself.
The next day.
The morning was clear and calm, not a cloud in the sky.
Well, ‘calm’ might be a stretch. It was certainly quiet, but the northern expedition camp was thick with tension that filled the entire site. Even though it was early, the users stood on high alert in every direction.
At the center of this watchful perimeter sat a massive humanoid monster, its entire body tightly bound and wrapped around a pillar.
“Are we really not going to kill that monster?”
Suddenly, Gong Chan-ho, standing beside Kim Yoo-hyun, turned his head and asked.
“You need to make a decision quickly. Are we not advancing today?”
“I’m still thinking.”
“Thinking? Hey, Emperor. You’re not seriously expecting me to carry that thing if we do move forward, are you?”
“…”
“No, everyone’s curious. It’s good that we caught it, but what I’m asking is—why are we just standing around doing nothing?”
“…Hoo-yu. Didn’t I say something last night?”
As Gong Chan-ho kept voicing his complaints, Kim Yoo-hyun finally let out a deep sigh.
After the fierce battle between the two monsters last night, the victorious beast collapsed and passed out. The exact reason was unknown, but it was assumed to be due to the severe injuries all over its body.
In any case, the Northern Expedition Force left it alone and just blew their noses at it. Kim Yoo-hyun ordered the cleanup of the battlefield.
They secured four creatures in total: one dinosaur carcass, one giant bird carcass, a baby giant bird, and the unconscious monster.
Not everyone in the Northern Expedition Force shared Gong Chan-ho’s frustration. In fact, many understood Kim Yoo-hyun’s decision to bring back the corpses. Whether it’s exploration or conquest, the first step is always to collect samples of the monsters that appear.
Of course, they were still curious about why the investigation hadn’t started yet.
After a moment, Kim Yoo-hyun pointed to the monster, the giant bird, and the dinosaur carcass in turn, then spoke quietly.
“Think about it. What differences do you see between these creatures?”
“Differences? Hmm… their looks?”
“…”
“…Why are you staring at me like that?”
Gong Chan-ho asked with a blank expression.
‘Calm down, calm down, calm down. Our Soo-hyun is the best.’
Recalling his younger brother, Kim Yoo-hyun managed to steady himself and spoke in a calm tone.
“I’m not talking about appearances. It’s about whether they attack first or not.”
“What difference does that make?”
“There’s a huge difference. Think back to yesterday… No, to put it simply, there’s no need to provoke them unnecessarily.”
“Huh?”
Gong Chan-ho questioned. Suddenly, Kim Yoo-hyun felt a chill run down his spine. If the Northern forces had entered without allying with the West and East, relying solely on Gong Chan-ho, he could easily imagine the outcome. Without a doubt, they would have been wiped out within three days.
Kim Yoo-hyun thought of his brother again.
“The third region is a monster’s paradise. Because of that, territorial disputes are intense.”
“Don’t just rush in because there aren’t many visible monsters. Most of them live in packs.”
“And it’s not just that. Some of them are intelligent—not just giants.”
“Remember this: what we need to do isn’t conquer, but just clear a path. That means we only have to deal with the giants. If we stir up trouble elsewhere…”
After organizing his thoughts, Kim Yoo-hyun looked back at the giant and spoke.
“First, I intend to try communicating with that one.”
“Wait, communicate?”
“Yeah.”
“Ha! You really think that’s possible?”
“Well, it looks similar to us… so why not try?”
“Try, huh? Fine. Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that it’s intelligent. Do you really think it’ll understand what you’re saying?”
Gong Chan-ho shook his head slowly, sounding skeptical. Kim Yoo-hyun shrugged, unwilling to say, “Our Soo-hyun says he can talk to them.”
“Oh? So the fact that we have users fluent in the ancient language and translation magic isn’t impressive?”
“…”
Gong Chan-ho immediately shut up. Then, looking somewhat displeased, he turned his gaze to the left.
There lay the shattered corpse of the giant bird, and beside it, the baby giant bird crying hoarsely. Remembering the sleepless night, Gong Chan-ho’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“So, you’re planning to talk to that one too?”
“I’d like to if possible, but I’m not holding my breath. Still, we can’t just assume they’re not intelligent.”
“Hmm.”
“Look at that baby giant bird. Why do you think it’s crying like that? Right next to the corpse?”
“Because that’s its dead parent.”
“Most likely. Now, think about it this way: if someone killed your comrade and desecrated the body, how would you feel?”
“Of course, I’d kill them… Ah.”
“See? Now you get it. Since there’s a baby, there’s no way only two of that kind exist in this area.”
Gong Chan-ho, who had been speaking without much thought, let out a weak gasp. He finally understood what Kim Yoo-hyun was getting at.
“Ha, but do you think the others will accept that?”
“No one knows. That’s why we need both the baby giant bird and the giant. If the two species don’t get along, and if each has a way to communicate, then there’s at least some hope.”
“Then wouldn’t it be better to just leave them be…?”
“No. If we had passed by without noticing, maybe. But since they’ve left traces around here, we can’t ignore it. This is the best course of action for now.”
Gong Chan-ho sighed. After hearing Kim Yoo-hyun’s detailed explanation, he finally grasped the situation the Northern Expedition Force was facing.
At the same time, he felt a sense of awe.
Gong Chan-ho had only thought about killing and fighting. But Kim Yoo-hyun was considering not just the Northern forces, but the external circumstances as well. For someone with little command experience like Gong Chan-ho, it was truly impressive.
“…You’re amazing.”
“So, did you think I was handed the supreme command for no reason?”
“Of course not,” Gong Chan-ho muttered with a smirk. He glanced once more at the slumped giant and the crying giant bird, then turned without hesitation. Kim Yoo-hyun watched his back and spoke.
“Anyway, we’ll make a decision by lunchtime at the latest. Just wait quietly.”
“Yes, yes.”
Watching Gong Chan-ho disappear into the distance, Kim Yoo-hyun turned his gaze back toward the road, lost in thought.
Suddenly, the piercing cry of the baby giant bird echoed in his ears. Reflexively, he looked over to see a woman approaching slowly, carrying food and water, while the baby giant bird spread its wings wide in warning.
“Jin-ha? What are you doing?”
“Oh, I’m trying to feed it some food and water.”
The woman, Baek Jin-ha, who had been approaching slowly, looked back at Kim Yoo-hyun.
“I heard you tried to challenge it at dawn but failed?”
“Yeah, but still… I feel sorry for it. Its voice is all hoarse now…”
Baek Jin-ha, who loved animals, couldn’t bear to see the baby giant bird crying nonstop.
“Well, go ahead and try.”
Kim Yoo-hyun shrugged as if to say, ‘Do as you please.’ Baek Jin-ha knelt calmly and pushed the bowls of food and water forward. Naturally, the baby giant bird backed away hesitantly, growling louder.
“It’s not strange, so don’t worry. Look, I’m eating too. Yum yum.”
“…Really, what are you trying to do? Eat, get stronger, and cry some more, right?”
The baby giant bird seemed to shout as if telling her to shut up.
Baek Jin-ha clicked her tongue a couple of times, picked up a small piece of bread, and slowly approached. The baby giant bird bared its tiny teeth threateningly, but that only seemed to urge Baek Jin-ha forward.
“Oh, my little one. You open your mouth so well.”
Keeping a slight distance, Baek Jin-ha waved her hand toward the baby giant bird’s snapping beak. The bread piece flew in a gentle arc and landed perfectly inside its mouth. Baek Jin-ha clenched her fist in triumph.
But—
The baby giant bird spat out the bread with a very displeased expression. Baek Jin-ha’s brow furrowed slightly.
“You little! Who told you to spit it out?”
She picked up another piece and threw it into its mouth again.
But the result was the same.
“Don’t spit it out, swallow it quickly!”
“…You.”
Baek Jin-ha threw, the baby giant bird spat.
Watching this back-and-forth, Kim Yoo-hyun smiled bitterly and thought of his brother, Kim Soo-hyun.
Realistically, this was only natural. Monsters raised in the wild instinctively distrust humans.
But there are always exceptions, and Kim Soo-hyun was the ultimate one.
‘If Soo-hyun were here…’
He probably would have rushed to that baby giant bird with open arms.
Just as Kim Yoo-hyun quietly lifted the corner of his mouth, a sudden voice called out.
“Commander!”
From somewhere nearby came a frantic voice.
Moments later, a man with a flushed face came running, stopping breathlessly in front of Kim Yoo-hyun.
“T-The western patrol detected large-scale movement!”
Kim Yoo-hyun’s expression hardened as he stared in the direction the man had come from.
“West? And large-scale?”
“Yes, yes! What should we do?”
“Order all patrols to fall back. Users, form ranks quickly around my position. We need to prepare for anything.”
“Understood.”
Kim Yoo-hyun’s decisive command seemed to reassure the man, whose face brightened before he turned and ran back the way he came.
“Jinha, enough with the teasing already.”
“Ah, Clan Lord… I wasn’t—… Yes, sir.”
After confirming Kim Yuhyun’s expression, Baek Jinha backed off without another word and dashed off somewhere.
In less than five minutes, the campsite grew chaotic. The previously relaxed atmosphere vanished as a tense, electric energy took hold.
Kim Yuhyun felt his mood darken as he stared westward.
‘I wonder who they could be.’
Could it be revenge from the dinosaur monsters we wiped out yesterday? Or perhaps kin of the giants or the monstrous birds? Or maybe… a completely new kind of monster?
The answer came sooner than expected.
— Kirurururururuk!
Suddenly, a familiar, eerie screech pierced the air, and a fierce wind swept through the western forest, shaking the trees.
Flap, flap, flap, flap! Flap, flap, flap, flap!
At the same moment, something enormous shot up into the sky.
And it wasn’t just one.
Like darkness swallowing the heavens, dozens—no, hundreds—of black shadows flapped their wings, rising en masse to blot out the sky.
“Mo-monster birds! A flock of monster birds is here!”
Someone pointed skyward, screaming at the top of their lungs.
Amid the growing uproar, only Kim Yuhyun’s gaze remained steady, unwavering as he fixed his eyes on the darkened sky.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Phew. Managed to save at 1 a.m. just in time.
This time, I crafted some interesting backstories for the various monsters appearing in the third region. I hope readers find them enjoyable. :)
Thanks for reading, and have a peaceful night. (__)