『…….』
At Khan’s question, augrabes firmly shut his mouth.
There was no other choice.
Even Aecharis, a Scion of the Arch Demon, called a Lord of Hell, was a transcendent being whom the average God of a pantheon could not even stand against.
What, then, of the Arch Demon who had created such a scion? It was speculated that this being surpassed the gods of the pantheon, possibly having reached true divinity.
‘This guy. Does he know something?’
The name he uttered is not something a mere mortal should know.
Of course, if that mortal is a warrior chosen by the Goddess of Justice, that might be different….
‘Would that bitch have spoken about the Arch Demon to mortals? There’s no way. This must be his own deduction.’
Augrabes couldn’t fathom why a barbarian warrior from Hoarfrost Gorge would be interested in the Arch Demon’s deeds. What was clear, however, was that he was desperate enough to propose a deal with a demon.
‘In that case, there’s no need to keep playing along…’
“I can hear the wheels turning in your head from here. As always, you demons.”
Khan interrupted Augrabes’ reverie, reaching out his hand. Caught in the grip of a mortal, humiliation colored Augrabes’ eyes, but Khan simply sneered, further pouring scornful words.
“If you don’t answer my question, your incarnation will be trapped in Midland forever. A demon being kept like a pet by mortals, oh how the others in hell would revel in that.”
『Krhkhkh! Such a trifling threat. Amusing!』
“Trifling?”
『Yes!』
Augrabes retorted with black magic billowing from his eyes.
『My true self rests within His domain! Even if you imprison my incarnation here, who could harm me! Moreover, this is but a fraction of my consciousness. It doesn’t limit the movement of my true self─!』
Augrabes was not bluffing.
Separating a part of his consciousness and descending to Midland through the altar did carry a degree of risk. However, it did not leave his true self utterly defenseless. Just slightly diminished in stature.
And who would dare meddle with his true self resting in the domain of the Lord of Hell?
『Your arrogance is but for a moment. A mortal’s lifespan is but a flash compared to a transcendent’s! How long could you possibly restrain me!』
Indeed, forcibly binding a transcendent’s consciousness was nearly impossible for a mortal. At least a transcendent of equal standing would have needed to intervene, but weren’t the transcendent beings of Midland trapped in the Cradle of the Void?
‘The humiliation is temporary. Eventually, the altar’s offerings will be depleted, and the connection will naturally sever.’
He just needed to endure until then. With that resolution, augrabes remained silent.
Ordinary mortals here would likely act as Augrabes had anticipated.
However, Khan, being a Possessor, was different.
He knew well that the demons of Hell were in constant conflict with one another. Even those under the same lord were ever-vigilant, coveting each other’s positions.
The longer Augrabes’ consciousness was bound to Midland, the more he risked his position as the second herald being threatened by other demons.
And Khan had a way to keep his consciousness bound indefinitely.
Woooom.
Twitch—.
『You, could it be…?!』
“If this goes in here, could you, of all beings, have any way out?”
Augrabes visibly panicked at the sight of Aecharis’ pouch that had opened in the thin air.
To him, a demon who manipulates space, aecharis’ power was nothing short of a superior predator. After all, the ‘space devouring’ that he himself wielded originated from Aecharis.
Above all, with that power, it was fully possible to seal him in Midland. Only then did Augrabes realize the gravity of the situation he was in, and he became furious. To be driven to such a shameful corner by a mere mortal…!
“So. What are you going to do? If you’re going to keep your mouth shut, I’ll just throw you in here forever. If you answer obediently… I’ll let you go nicely.”
Augrabes agonized. Should he accept the humiliating offer extended by a mere mortal? His dilemma remained the same no matter how many times he pondered it.
‘I must accept.’
Already having suffered a blow to his dignity, being sealed would truly endanger his standing. But he couldn’t simply comply directly.
『Swear. By the Warrior God your race worships, the Goddess of Justice who chose you, and by your own name. That you will send my essence back through the altar in peace.』
“Hmm…”
Seeing Khan struggle to answer, augrabes smirked triumphantly. Just as I thought…!
He knew well that this race greatly revered the Warrior God and despised lies. And given that the Goddess of Justice, who had bestowed her divine power upon this being, was involved — if he swore by his name, he dared not play any tricks.
Above all, a vow made in the presence of a demon, using one’s ‘name’, carried actual weight. Breaking such a vow would exact a hefty toll.
『If you do not swear, there is no way I will open my mouth whatsoever.』
Revealing his resolve, augrabes closed his eyes completely, which prompted Khan to chuckle.
‘Well, a vow. There’s nothing I can’t pledge.’
What’s the big deal?
“By the names of the Warrior God of the Skull Mountain and the Goddess of Justice. I, Gordi Khan, promise to release you after getting the answers I want.”
『Fine! If you break your vow, the torments of hell will engulf and seize you.』
“Enough chatter. Just answer. Where is the Arch Demon?”
『Khkhkh.』
Augrabes’ reptilian eyes gleamed with scorn.
『I do not know. All I know is that the progenitor of all demons resides not in Hell, but elsewhere.』
“Not in Hell, you say?”
『The rulers of Hell are the progeny birthed by our progenitor. At least to my knowledge, the Arch Demon has never descended into Hell.』
So it seems. Indeed, the Arch Demon resides not in Hell but elsewhere, descending through the Great Demonic Ceremony. Just as Alpha said, not in any extradimensional regions of Midland.
‘Is it the same for True Dragons and Titans?’
Such beings couldn’t possibly reside just anywhere. Moreover, true Dragons and Titans, their sizes are said to surpass that of great mountain ranges.
“So, any rough idea where this Arch Demon might be hiding?”
『Well, considering a place worthy of a divine being’s residence, even through Midland and the numerous sub-dimensions, there aren’t many candidates. However, I’m under no obligation to explain that to you. Our agreement concluded after answering your first question.』
“Tch…”
Right, it wasn’t going to be that easy.
Khan managed to suppress his laughter upon seeing Augrabes trying to be cunning. He saw right through what the creature was trying to do.
Throwing out useless information while keeping its own formalities intact, thinking it had outsmarted Khan. Believing that Khan wouldn’t dare break their vow—.
“Well understood, you little shit.”
Khan reached out once more and grabbed Augrabes by the head. Despite the creature’s flustered attempts to escape, Khan had no intention of letting go.
Not from the start.
“Good work, and let’s not see each other for a while.”
『You…! Dare you to break the oath! You won’t get away unscathed either! Even if you could bear the consequence, you swore in the name of the gods!』
“I don’t believe in such things as gods.”
Khan smacked the creature’s mouth with his hand, smiling wickedly.
“And… you should have read the contract more carefully.”
‘Gordi Khan is the name of this body, not my name.’
Muttering internally a fact that would make the creature seethe in desperate frustration, Khan opened the pouch of Aeckaris.
“Next time, beware of swindlers. That is if there is a next time.”
『You────!!』
As the pouch of Aeckaris absorbed the essence and closed, Khan, creating a separate prison inside the pouch, licked his lips with a hint of regret.
‘No experience gained.’
***
The aftermath of the battle with Augrabes left the central area’s oldest and most central building long since turned to ruins. It was considered fortunate that it hadn’t completely collapsed, but the skirmish was of such a magnitude.
Despite the grueling ordeal and not gaining any experience, Khan wasn’t the least bit regretful.
‘Surely, I’m making progress.’
If before it seemed like he was aimlessly drifting in search of the traces of ‘old gods’, the events in Argon were faintly paving a way for him.
The clues left by Alpha encountered in the Demonic Realm. Mortalia, the Void, and the Arch Demon. If Maya handled her task properly, something more might be learned through Mortalia’s relic. Of course, that role wasn’t for him but for another to undertake.
The very person who decrypted the Western Great Mountains’ mythology for him and hinted at the lineage of the Argon royalty. With her unfathomable wisdom, she surely could decipher the mysteries contained within Mortalia’s relic.
And above all.
‘I am becoming stronger.’
His growth, which had been stagnating for a while, was now sharply rising through various incidents.
Three A-grade skills and a strength stat nearing 70. His equipment ensemble was also coming together. In the storyline of the game, we are now entering Act 2 according to the timeline. At this point, he’s become strong enough that, if he so desired, he could easily handle the main quest of Act 2. Perhaps even Act 3…
‘First things first, I must check the relics.’
She had everything prepared — how to move should a situation arise, the identity and fighting style of attackers, and even the suitable equipment to use.
‘If she can’t handle this, it’s going to be difficult to keep her around in the future.’
With thoughts of joining up at the auction house, Khan took his first steps.
Cree-eak… Cre-ak.
Just then, an ominous sound from underfoot made Khan scrunch up his face and look down. The foundation of the building, barely holding together, was now splitting open like drought-stricken earth, as if it was about to shatter into pieces at any moment.
“What the—!”
He tried to leap away in haste, but it was already too late. That final step had instead sealed his fate.
BOOM—!
As the ground collapsed, Khan, with his innate sense of balance, quickly assessed the situation below. He wondered just how far the aftermath had spread, as the weight of the collapsing debris caused a chain reaction of destruction.
After falling for what felt like a dozen seconds, just as his body adapted to the sensation of floating, Khan flipped himself upside down in mid-air. He then triggered a leap, using a piece of falling debris as a platform.
Naturally, it was an impractical move, more of a misstep, but the skill activated correctly.
—Grade D Effect, safe Landing :: Fall damage is significantly reduced.
Thud.
With only a slight tingling sensation, Khan managed to land safely and let out a sigh of relief as he looked around.
It appeared he had entered a cave, but the smooth state of the walls suggested it was an artificially carved hollow. And then…
“A stone tablet?”
In the center of the hollow, there was a stone tablet, intricately engraved with what seemed to be records of some kind.
‘An artificially made underground hollow with a stone tablet recording something.’
It was clearly screaming ‘there’s something here,’ and unable to hide his excitement, Khan hurriedly approached the stone tablet.
“Let’s see…”
As if he had known all along what it would say, Khan’s face hardened at a particular section of the tablet’s preamble.