The Northwest Expeditionary Force had arrived at the giants’ territory.
Just as Kim Yuhyun had told Kim Suhyun yesterday, he immediately set things in motion upon reaching the target area. Officially announcing the end of the third region’s conquest, he promptly began construction on a fortress.
As part of this, Kim Yuhyun enlisted the users’ help to clear out the giants’ domain. The official reason was to build the fortress as quickly as possible.
But no one took that at face value. The users had endured grueling battles and suffered the loss of comrades. In such circumstances, victory offered little comfort. The only true balm for their wounds was, without a doubt, the rewards.
Of course, there was an unspoken rule: any loot found while clearing the territory was not to be touched until it was officially distributed. But expecting thousands of people to all abide by that was, frankly, a pipe dream.
For example, while it was hard to sneak off with something big like Mjolnir, tiny gems the size of bird eggs could be pocketed without raising much suspicion. To put it bluntly, as long as you didn’t get caught, it was fair game.
From this perspective, the users clearing the territory could be divided into three types:
Those who dutifully reported any loot they found.
Those who, upon finding loot, first scanned the surroundings.
Those who acted alone from the start, aiming to hide their findings.
The third type was especially common among archers and assassins. Their keen eyesight and job traits made them adept at spotting not only obvious loot but also hidden treasures.
Right now, there was a man walking alone into a remote part of the territory.
In truth, the best loot usually came from the center of the giants’ domain—the place their king had used. But the man had a good reason for heading to the outskirts. The center was crowded with users, making it difficult to conceal anything.
Better to give up on the prime loot and head somewhere more secluded, where the risk of exposure was lower.
The man’s quick steps came to a halt when he spotted what looked like a camp far from the center. In reality, it was just a tent once inhabited by a giant, but from a user’s perspective, it was a sizable space—big enough for two to four people.
He cautiously looked around. Confirming no one was there, he flung open a roughly torn leather flap.
As he stepped inside, a pungent smell of aged leather hit his nose, making him grimace.
“An old man’s room, huh? Smells awful.”
The camp’s interior was about 30 meters in diameter—quite spacious. The ceiling was covered with grimy leather, and the walls were draped with leather hides hanging from ropes. The floor was thickly layered with dark, dead leaves. It looked like a primitive hut from a prehistoric era.
At first glance, there was nothing remarkable. But when the man examined the hanging leather, his frown turned into a broad smile. Piercing through the leather was a bone hook, from which hung a glossy necklace.
“Oh, found something expensive.”
He grinned with satisfaction and snatched the necklace. Though the bone ornament looked cheap, he didn’t care. The large, embedded gems flashed a vivid red light, proudly showing off their worth.
“This should be worth at least three thousand gold coins. Not a bad start.”
Tucking the necklace safely into his pocket, the man began to slowly explore the camp.
But after five minutes, he found nothing else of value. There were occasional bits of monster meat or what looked like eyeballs from giant birds, but these were useless to users.
“Damn it. They say the first catch sets the tone, but this is pathetic.”
After another five minutes of fruitless searching, he muttered in frustration. He hadn’t expected anything extraordinary, but failing to find even a single practical item left him feeling sour. One necklace alone was far from enough to meet his expectations.
Finally giving up, he decided to leave and turned around.
“Ah, damn it.”
His eyes caught a pile of leaves he had glanced over earlier. Muttering under his breath, he kicked at the heap.
Thud!
Something gave a faint resistance under his foot.
“Huh?”
The man’s eyes widened in surprise.
His gaze fell on a small mound of earth, rounded and rising slightly beneath the leaves. It looked like a grave, about the size of a plate.
“What’s this…?”
He muttered absentmindedly, but suddenly a spark of interest lit his eyes.
Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees and began brushing away the leaves and carefully scraping the soil.
But just as he was uncovering the mound, footsteps approached from outside. Panicked, he plunged his hand deep into the earth mound. Feeling around, his fingers suddenly grasped something.
It was about the size of a seed, hard to the touch. But he couldn’t quite tell what it was—nor did he have time to examine it.
“Someone’s here already?”
A voice came from outside. The man reacted swiftly, slipping the object into the pocket where he’d stashed the necklace, then quickly stood up and kicked the leaves back over the dirt.
About three seconds later, someone gently pushed aside the leather flap and stepped inside.
“Anyone here…? Oh, it’s you?”
Was that a familiar voice? The man let out a brief sigh of relief. He turned calmly—only for a sudden crimson light to burst from his chest.
Wooooosh!
Before he could even comprehend what was happening—
“Gah, ugh?!”
A sharp pain near his heart forced an involuntary, low cry from his lips.
Meanwhile, at the same time.
“Good.”
In a dark room, a figure sat leisurely in an ornate chair, speaking in a low voice. Though the tone was deep, there was an unmistakable hint of satisfaction.
“Has the seed been sown?”
Suddenly, another voice interrupted. It came from a figure kneeling before the chair.
“Yes. The forced implantation succeeded for now. We’ll have to observe for at least two weeks to see if it takes root.”
The figure in the chair responded. Slowly opening their eyes, a pair of glowing red irises burned in the darkness. The gaze fixed beneath the chair.
“Belial.”
Belial—the 14th prince of demons and closest confidant to the Great Demon Satan.
Indeed, the two figures conversing were none other than Satan, the King of All Demons, and the demon Belial.
Satan said nothing for a moment. He slowly raised a glass of wine in his right hand and took a sip, then pulled out a cigarette.
Ssshh, ssshh.
“How’s the progress?”
At last, he spoke.
“All preparations are complete. Now, if only we can open the portal to the Burning Hell…”
“Already? Astaroth’s been surprisingly diligent.”
“It’s not just Astaroth. Beelzebub, Asmodeus, Baal…”
“Right. Beelzebub and Asmodeus are expected, but Baal was a surprise. Seems he’s taken pride in being a ruthless destroyer.”
Satan chuckled.
“…And myself, of course.”
But when Belial spoke a moment later, Satan’s smile faded. Raising his wine glass, he wore a meaningful expression.
“Don’t like that I’m involved? Be honest.”
“…Yes.”
“Heh heh, I see.”
“Apologies.”
Belial bowed his head immediately, but Satan waved it off.
“No, it’s fine. Just think of it positively. We’re not actually crossing over—just planting a seed. One that almost became useless, too.”
“But…”
Belial hesitated, then, receiving no objection, continued slowly.
“I still worry about the Grand Prophecy.”
“……”
“As you know, Satan, the Grand Prophecy has never been wrong. I can’t help but wonder if this plan is part of fulfilling that prophecy…”
“But even if we do nothing, the outcome will be the same.”
Satan cut him off before he could finish. Belial instinctively shrank back, but Satan remained calm, raising his glass again.
“You may think differently, but I hold this plan in high regard. Bringing in the Archduke of Hell, having four—no, five—Great Demons participate… This is the first time these usually solitary demons have united. That alone gives this plan undeniable significance, don’t you think?”
What followed was surprisingly constructive—so much so that it hardly seemed like something the Devil himself would say. Yet, a faint shadow of worry crossed Belial’s face. For someone who had always insisted on being an ‘independent entity’ above all else, Satan’s words revealed that even he recognized the gravity of the situation. In other words, it was proof of just how many demons were gathering.
“Honestly, I know too. That this plan probably won’t succeed.”
At that moment, Belial’s expression stiffened, and Satan’s eyes narrowed sharply, stretching horizontally. A deep, intense light flickered in his pupils.
“If the Hell Duke is truly that powerful… and hell is his home turf, no matter how perfectly we prepare, there will inevitably be variables.”
Belial slowly lifted his head.
“So…”
“But saying it probably won’t work doesn’t mean it’s doomed to fail, right? We just have to control those variables. That’s why I’m sneaking in quietly.”
“M-Master.”
“Well, if we do fail, there’s nothing we can do. But then, we’ll have to truly give up on the Northern Continent.”
“……”
“Oh, by the way, Belial. How about you join this plan too?”
What was that supposed to mean? Belial hurriedly raised his head.
Satan spoke calmly.
“Astaroth told me the Hell Duke is an incredible beauty. So stunning that even gods and most angels wouldn’t dare show their faces. Why not go see for yourself?”
“…Excuse me?”
Belial’s face froze in utter disbelief. Was that expression amusing to Satan?
“Haha. Just kidding. I’m in a good mood with this exciting plan ahead, so cut me some slack.”
Satan chuckled lightly.
“Anyway, is that enough of an answer for you, Belial?”
Belial couldn’t respond. He had no idea what to say. He couldn’t even begin to guess Satan’s true intentions.
…No, perhaps since coming under Satan’s command, this was the first time he had ever doubted the ‘King of All Demons.’ Satan’s tone and demeanor today were so different from before.
“…Everything will be as Satan wills.”
In the end, that was all Belial could say.
After taking another sip of wine, Satan rose nonchalantly.
“Keep me updated on the progress.”
He dropped the smoldering cigarette into his glass and left the room.
As Satan’s footsteps faded into the distance, a profound silence settled over the space. The tense atmosphere gradually eased. Belial remained alone, still bowed toward the chair.
“I…”
Suddenly, Belial’s lips parted, as if still speaking to Satan.
“I’m afraid… not just of failure, but of what happens if the plan doesn’t end there.”
His voice was low, tinged with vague unease.