“A messenger has arrived?”
Kim Yuhyun’s face remained creased in a frown the entire time he redonned the robe he had half-removed after ending the communication. He had heard some explanation, but the suddenness of it all still unsettled him.
“Why would the demons send a messenger to me…? Ah!”
Just then, as Kim Yuhyun entertained a faint possibility, the silent room suddenly grew chaotic. More precisely, a noisy commotion erupted beyond the window.
Listening closely, he could make out multiple voices shouting fiercely, some yelling for others to retreat—an unintelligible jumble of sounds. Not long after, the noise gradually subsided, replaced by footsteps approaching down the corridor outside the door.
A polite knock followed, and the door opened. A man stepped inside, bowed respectfully, then gestured behind him with a tense expression. At that signal, a group of a dozen or so people, all with weapons drawn, strolled leisurely into the room.
“Heh heh…”
Despite the tense atmosphere, the old man remained composed. He even smiled without hesitation, gently stroking his long white beard. Offering a light nod, he spoke.
“Pleasure to meet you, Lord of the Mind.”
“You are…?”
“Or perhaps I should say, Kim Yuhyun, the elder brother of User Kim Suhyun?”
“……!”
Though the arrival had been noisy, the room soon fell silent again. Kim Yuhyun had driven off the group of users who came with the old man. The first man who entered had insisted it was too dangerous to come in, but eventually agreed to wait just outside the door. Kim Yuhyun didn’t stop him.
Only after the situation calmed could Kim Yuhyun and the white-haired elder sit face to face and talk.
“Let me introduce myself first. I am Melinus, known—perhaps undeservedly—as a prophet in the Southern Continent.”
Kim Yuhyun’s first impression of the old man’s gentle voice was that of a sage. Not so much noble as wise and kindly. But that was only on the surface; beneath it, he was just an old man with some hidden agenda.
“Of course, in truth, I am Belial, one of the fourteen demon lords who serve Satan…”
At that moment, Kim Yuhyun’s eyes narrowed sharply. He had guessed as much. It made more sense that the demons had a reason to come, rather than some random matter from the Southern Continent.
“Quite bold of you. To think you’d come alone, straight into enemy territory.”
Now that he knew who he was dealing with, Kim Yuhyun’s tone was naturally harsh.
“Well, I was confident you’d let me leave unharmed if I could just get in. The real question was whether I could get in at all.”
Melinus replied without changing his expression.
“I wanted to talk, not be attacked on sight. So I thought of a way to ease your suspicion—and as a gesture of goodwill, I brought along some prisoners we’ve been holding. Users from the Northern Continent, in fact. Heh heh.”
“……”
Kim Yuhyun fell silent, sensing a hint of goodwill in the voice. But his mind raced.
‘He said some prisoners… so they must be holding quite a few. That means they probably already know a lot. Maybe they even brought those who answered honestly about me and my brother first.’
Whatever the case, it was something he had to accept.
Seeing no change in Kim Yuhyun’s expression, Melinus sighed softly but kept smiling.
“Well… very well. Since neither side seems to harbor goodwill, let’s get straight to the point.”
“Good. At least you’re quick to catch on.”
“Then I’ll be blunt. User Kim Suhyun is still alive. He has regained consciousness.”
“So?”
Kim Yuhyun’s voice was chillingly cold, as if to say, “So what?”
Melinus’s face, previously relaxed, shifted for the first time, clearly surprised by the reaction.
“Ah… you already knew?”
“That’s none of your business. So? Since my brother’s alive, you want to trade for the Zero Code?”
“Excuse me?”
“You expect me to just hand it over so we can team up and wipe out the angels? Oh, maybe that’s too much?”
This time, Melinus was the one at a loss for words. He stroked his beard for a long moment, then spoke with a blank expression.
“Do you mean to say we shouldn’t even dream of that? Or that you refuse to cooperate with our plans?”
“Both.”
Kim Yuhyun’s voice was cold and unwavering.
Though he spoke with a hint of mockery, inside he felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff. He was openly daring them, a warning not to use his brother as a bargaining chip.
“Heh heh. I see. Well then…”
Melinus’s troubled expression lasted only a moment before he smiled faintly.
“Then how about I ask a favor instead?”
“What?”
Melinus clasped his hands together and bowed slightly, as if about to say something very important.
Kim Yuhyun, who had instinctively gathered his magic, relaxed when Melinus made no further move.
“May I tell you a story that might pique your interest, Lord of the Mind?”
“Not really interested.”
“Is that so? But I’m sure you’ve wondered why the angels don’t intervene directly in the Whole Plane?”
“!”
Even Kim Yuhyun couldn’t dismiss that question. It was the biggest unresolved mystery he’d had for a long time. He had some guesses, but it was worth hearing.
“Go ahead.”
Reluctantly granting permission, Kim Yuhyun watched as Melinus smiled knowingly.
“Well… it’s not some grand reason. Nor is it due to any particular restriction. It’s actually a very human reason.”
“Get to the point.”
“Very well. Because they’re afraid.”
“Afraid?”
Kim Yuhyun looked at Melinus with a puzzled expression. It was a vague answer.
“You’re saying the angels don’t come out because they’re afraid of us?”
“Not entirely wrong, but slightly off the mark. The angels aren’t afraid of us—they fear the loss of their forces if they descend into this world.”
“Wait. What does that mean? You mean the angels worry about losing strength if they fight you?”
“Exactly. Are you aware that the angelic faction suffered a record defeat against us demons?”
Despite the complexity, Kim Yuhyun nodded faintly. Kim Suhyun had mentioned something similar when he first revealed the secret.
“That makes things simpler. To cut to the chase, the angels currently involved in the Whole Plane are the last of Heaven’s forces.”
“The last forces?”
“Yes. The final bastion, so to speak. For us, even if we were wiped out here, it wouldn’t change the overall war much. It would hurt, but since we’ve been winning steadily, losing once in a while is acceptable. Of course, the Zero Code is a different matter.”
“So…”
“But it’s different for the angels. If they were to come out here and be annihilated, it would be no exaggeration to say Heaven’s forces would be completely depleted that very day. So either way, it’s a tough situation. That’s why they desperately guard the Zero Code and avoid coming out. This is exactly why you were summoned to this world.”
“……”
“Now, if I may change the subject, may I ask you an important question?”
“Go ahead.”
Kim Yuhyun managed to keep his composure despite the sudden question. He already had a good idea of what Melinus was aiming for.
‘Obviously. The conclusion will be that we should join forces to drive out the angels.’
He could verify that later.
Calming his thoughts, Kim Yuhyun listened carefully.
“If you were to hand over the Zero Code, Lord of the Mind, what would happen next?”
“Well, after sweet-talking you into giving it up, you’d probably use the Zero Code to wipe out both angels and humans, right?”
At that moment—
“Pfft.”
Kim Yuhyun’s slightly sarcastic remark made Melinus burst out laughing.
“Ah, sorry. That was so out of the blue… Honestly, it was kind of funny. Think about it—why would we use such a precious thing on mere humans? What about Heaven?”
He waved his hands hastily, but the chuckling continued.
“Ahem. My mistake. Please forgive me. Anyway, it’s simple. The angels would immediately retreat to Heaven, and so would we demons.”
“What?”
“I’m not lying. The Zero Code is the only key that can open Heaven’s gates. If it falls into our hands, do you think they’d just stand by? They can’t abandon their homeland, so whether they like it or not, they’d have to return. That means no more outside interference in the Whole Plane, leaving only humans behind.”
“So, in the end, you want me to hand over the Zero Code?”
“In conclusion, yes.”
“Hah. You expect me to trust you just based on that?”
And then—
“Well, it’s not unreasonable that you find it hard to trust us.”
Melinus, who had been leaning in slightly, suddenly straightened up.
“But if we miss this chance… who knows how long we’ll have to wait. Thousands of years, maybe even tens of thousands.”
He spoke calmly, unclasping his hands and slowly lowering his arms.
“I won’t bother with clichés like ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ or that there’s no need for us to fight each other. You already know all that.”
Then, bowing solemnly until his forehead nearly touched the table, he said,
“So I’m asking you sincerely: please hand over the Zero Code to us.”
Kim Yuhyun was caught off guard—he never imagined a demon would bow so directly.
But Melinus wasn’t finished.
“Of course, Satan fully understands your doubts. If you still can’t trust us, then it’s only right that we give you reasons to believe.”
“With that in mind, Satan has laid out five conditions.”
He continued without pause.
“First, all creatures will be returned to nothingness. Not a single demon will remain; they will all be sent back to where they originally came from.”
“Second, among the remaining Great Demons and the fourteen Demon Lords, all but one—who will deliver the Zero Code to the Grand Plan—are willing to become hostages.”
“Third, if you’re concerned about the angels, we will handle that as well. We won’t accept any outside help during this process; all you need to do is stay out of it.”
“Fourth, the safe return of all prisoners, including your younger sibling, is guaranteed.”
His words poured out like a waterfall.
“If you still can’t trust us after all this, you’re welcome to set the terms yourself. As long as they’re not unreasonable, we’re prepared to accept them.”
It was an astonishing offer.
Not only the liberation of Kim Suhyun and all the hostages,
but the complete eradication of the demon race,
the willingness of the demons themselves to become hostages,
and even the promise to deal with the angels if requested.
And if that still wasn’t enough to convince them, they could propose their own conditions.
For a moment, Kim Yuhyun doubted his ears. The demon’s terms were shockingly generous.
There was nothing left to concede—this was the utmost display of goodwill and compromise.