◈ Episode 391. Covering the Ground

The flow of time is frozen.

I’m no stranger to the twisted axis of time.

Ever since I fought the Ice Dragon Frostnax.

I’ve spent a lot of time in Absolute Zero.

‘Is that all?’

The most recent would be [Understanding Darkness].

A moment becomes a few days in reality.

I’ve experienced the opposite as well.

Dalkak.

Thanks to you, I have some free time.

I leisurely picked up the teacup. The green tea was chilled by the coldness I emitted, but the infinitely demanding Grandfell had become infinitely generous in the presence of green tea.

‘Let’s see.’

I sat down, teacup in hand.

I opened the book.

If you suddenly ask me what I’m reading, this is a book worth reading.

[The Bible of the Demon World, The True Necronomicon].

seumeolseumeol.

Even at first glance, its appearance was quite disturbing. Well, it wasn’t made of human skin like the legendary demonic tome, but the illustration on the cover moved as if it were alive.

beontteug─

The painted skulls glowed in the dark, and the skeletal horse snorted. By the way……. Before examining the contents of the book, how would I be seen holding such a book?

‘After all, there must be no Demon King.’

Grandfell is not that kind.

I realised that when I understood one part of the past.

It was I who realised that.

That’s why I was able to give him this extremely weak prescription.

“Has, has the clock stopped?”

“No, it hasn’t. It’s not completely stopped, but it’s moving. Slowly but surely, like the second has become the hour hand! Ooh, aren’t we in trouble?”

“More than that, you’re suddenly pulling out a book……?”

A murmur.

Gazes directed at me through the commotion.

Sitting back, frozen in time.

Me enjoying my tea time and reading?

They’re looking at me like I’m ridiculous.

But then again, I’m not the only one who finds it ridiculous.

‘I never thought I would return the favor back to you.’

Raymon Sean.

His influence must have been deeply embedded in reality long before the Cataclysm. I mean, who doesn’t like money, and he was an overwhelmingly wealthy man in the world.

‘Obviously, there are people who are complicit.’

Not just the US, but AAUs and governments.

‘What he wanted was simple.’

So says the leader of the AAU branch. I can’t help Raymond Sean with Arcana. Raymond Sean, the creator of the Arcana Continent’s biography, isn’t exactly the kind of person who needs help.

‘Connections that can’t be used in the real world.’

I’ve seen it in action.

Political, social, economic.

Moreover, the world depends on him. Of course, I was quick to act. I was able to turn the players’ minds back to the Yusra Kingdom.

But.

‘Branch leaders are different.’

They’re not players.

And because there is a sin already committed.

They can’t talk easily.

‘Part of me wants to force you to confess.’

Like I said, I’m not the one digging through the dirt.

Just to soak my feet and hands in muddy water.

This does not mean that the clothes are neatly styled.

Sreuk.

Moreover, I had experience.

Yes, time solves everything.

This space, where the flow of time has stopped at absolute zero, can be said to be a miniature of Mugan. It may be less effective than indefinitely, but it doesn’t matter.

It is a Mugan that even the most powerful mages, the elder mages, and the demon worshippers could not withstand. For branch leaders who are just ordinary people, a miniature version will be enough.

Sreuk.

With the confidence that comes with experience, I leisurely flicked through the pages. The Necronomicon, a bible of the Demon World, lived up to its grandiose name and was filled with knowledge of the Demon World.

[The Bible of the Demon World, the True Necronomico]

[Rank: Epic]

[Restriction: Only beings of the Demon World can read it].

[Effect : Upon understanding, you gain knowledge of the Demon World].

[Description: A book written by Discus, the Lich of the Demon World. It describes how to survive in the Demon World, which has been eroded by demons. It also grants you access to Discus’ sanctuary in the treacherous Demon World].

Sreuk.

I flicked through the pages one by one…….

Discus, this guy was a lot more than I thought he was.

I had guessed that he had the strength to maintain his power in a Demon World that had been completely overrun by demons, and to challenge the High Ranking Demon King Buer.

But he’s even more amazing than I expected.

──────

The Kings of the Ten Thrones rule the Demon World, and their omniscience has a profound effect on the Demon World. In order to survive in such a demonic world, you need your own discipline…….

──────

The quality of the information left behind by Discus is quite high.

If I had entered the Demon World without knowing this information…….

I would have literally screamed to death.

In that sense.

‘What are you really, Grandfell?’

As if hunting the Seven Deadly Sins Wrath wasn’t enough.

Buer.

I can’t believe I’ve been hunting Discus, which is comparable to Buer, in succession.

How the hell did he do it?

If there’s a video of it, I’d love to see it.

‘…… Try to follow it at least roughly.’

Anyway, it went well. I’m about to enter the Demon World, and this is invaluable information. I’ve slowed down the passage of time, so I can slowly acquire the knowledge of the Demon World.

I flipped through the pages nonchalantly in the frozen AAU branch office.

I could feel the stares, but I didn’t care.

I told you.

No one was leaving until someone confessed.

I guess I just happened to have something to do.

There is no need for me to rush.

*

Baker, head of the London office, stroked his forearms.

“I feel a strange chill. Mr Park.”

[『Absolute Zero』]

However, it was definitely a chill filled with consideration.

It was the chill that came with being a Demon King and having a high level of magical manifestation. It only froze the passage of time. It didn’t freeze the air around it.

So what is the cause of the current chill?

Park Minjae speaks up.

“You must be quite disappointed.”

Perhaps it’s the emotions Hoyeol is emitting.

At first glance, it’s a calm scene.

Holding a teacup, flipping through a book, but there’s an unmistakable warning. The book in Hoyeol’s hand was the source of the problem. Baker whispered.

“Indeed, in order to deal with the demons, we need to know what they are, don’t we? Doesn’t that cover look like a book about the demons, Mr Park?”

Park Minjae nodded.

“It certainly doesn’t look like an Arcana skill book.”

These were Arcana experts. That was definitely an item from the Demon World rather than the Arcana Continent. Baker laughed bitterly.

“The Demon World. You haven’t forgotten the weight you’re carrying even as you pursue us, General Manager. This is something we can’t ignore, can we, Mr Park?”

Park Minjae nodded meaningfully and looked around.

Hadn’t he made a promise?

The demon is enough to hold Hoyeol back.

At least in the real world.

He wouldn’t let anyone hold him back.

“Cosmo’s crazy dog won’t let go once it bites.”

So true.

Park and Baker were moving under the surface. I could tell because they were branch leaders first.

Those who deviate from their assigned duties, take their eyes off the job, and have their own agendas tend to stand out.

“Things are different now. I don’t know about the people who’ve been forced out, or the people who’ve been forced to look the other way because they’ve been poked and prodded, but weren’t we AAU the ones who took the leap to Anomaly?”

“That’s right.”

“By now, the Magic Tower should have moved according to plan.”

Early days of the Cataclysm.

It was the government of each country that tracked the flow of funds from the Rift Clearing Rewards that Raymon Sean was paying out. Back then, when we thought Raymon Sean was the cause of the Cataclysm, we thought we could just arrest him and it would all be over.

But Raymon was clever.

“We couldn’t find a trace of him. From the identities of hundreds of millions of Arcana Continent electricity users to his DNA, his vast array of alias accounts, and his bypass of Cosmo’s massive servers were untraceable to any hacker.”

Park Minjae sums it up.

“It was the limit of science.”

But, as they say, it was an AAU that went for the [『Anomaly』].

“But it’s a different story when it comes to Magic Tower, and when I spoke to Master Marcelo, he told me that there is magic that can read the memories of an object.”

“Oh!”

“The memories left behind in our belongings are no exception.”

“……!”

Some of the branch leaders are stunned by Park’s words.

I searched my pockets, but nothing came up.

AAU Branch Leaders Meeting.

To prevent the agenda from being leaked.

The rule was to keep your belongings outside the venue.

Park Minjae smirks.

“Even if they’ve wiped it clean for security reasons, magic reads the memory itself. I don’t fully understand magic, so I can’t guess how it will manifest, but it’s a great Magic Tower. It should be able to read it.”

Park Minjae looks around at the branch leaders leisurely.

“Since the General Manager has frozen time, there’s no need to rush. We’ll just have to wait for the results, completely cut off from the outside world, hands and feet tied behind our backs. If you are honest and innocent, there is no need to worry. However, if that’s not the case,…….”

“……?”

“I know the chill in the air feels like a freezing hell right now.”

“……!”

I don’t know the exact time, because the flow of time stopped.

But it didn’t feel like a long time.

One by one…….

“……Damn.”

The branch leaders, whose shoulders were slumped, stood up from their seats.

The General Manager of Yusra with an expression that looks like it is about to burst into tears.

He was looking at Hoyeol.

Sreuk.

But Hoyeol doesn’t even give them a glance.

It’s not enough to pay attention to just a few loaches.

Carved into his head.

“!”

This was because the information from the Demon World was extremely serious.

*

The Arcana continent.

Behemoth’s Maw.

It was Gunner who was guarding the passageway to the vicious Demon World.

“No anomalies are currently being detected.”

The Holy War Alliance, including the Iron Castle, swung into action to weed out the challengers. It’s a Battle for the Demon King that will take place over the Ten Thrones. The plan was to reduce the number of demons that would stand in the way of their leader, Hoyeol.

Gunner muttered softly.

” …… I don’t know if it means anything.”

Gunner looked at the flesh around the maw.

The Arcana continent had already been ravaged by demons.

But the Behemoth’s maw was faithfully filtering out the demons.

‘Even if I couldn’t do it, half of it would have been torn apart like that.’

In other words, the vast demons that covered the Arcana continent had been reduced by half, and it was only natural to worry.

“What kind of place is the Demon World?”

Furthermore, news had reached the Adventurer’s World.

I’m guessing they said that that Maw was no longer tearing apart demons in the Demon World.

Gunner looked at the Arcana Continent.

” ……Do you think you can survive in front of that great army?”

Perhaps he, too, had foreseen this situation.

And that is why he had made his decision.

The Arcana Continent could no longer withstand the onslaught of demons, and the only way to protect it was for the target himself to throw himself into the Demon World.

Gunner witnessed Hoyeol’s transcendent power as he crushed Discus. Still, I couldn’t relax. The Behemoth’s Maw. Staring into that gaping Maw, he felt a surge of anxiety.

And yet.

No.

Gunner shook his head.

“No, let’s get a grip.”

It was the moment I spoke to myself and took control of the steering wheel.

umjjil─

The Behemoth’s maw.

A massive force soaring from within the abyss.

Gunner’s eyes widen.

“!”

What is this?

Gunner squints to see…….

For some reason, the shape was familiar.

“That’s……!”

Gunner stuttered. No matter how you looked at it, it was ‘that guy’. The skull that the Commander-in-Chief had defeated was once again emerging from the Behemoth Maw.

Gunner called out urgently.

“Hello, this is Gunner, the Lich of the Demon World, Discus has risen!”

.

.

.

Not a resurrection.

It is a setting in the Demon World.

I looked again at the passage in the book.

──────

In the Demon World, the body and soul are separated.

──────

Then I muttered.

“That’s not bad news.”

……If we do this right, we can be freed from our dark history!