“...You want me to come in two months?” Seo Jun-Ho read the message and muttered in disappointment. He had been planning to improve his Thunder Resistance upon visiting the Thunder God.

‘Well, at least I raised it to C-grade the last time I trained with him.’

Seo Jun-Ho expected that he would easily be able to raise his Thunder Resistance to B-grade with the old man’s help. Additionally, his cells would also become thunder-resistant with the effects of Cell Regeneration.

“I’ll just do it next time. I’m not in a rush anyway.”

Seo Jun-Ho pondered what liquor he should bring as he headed over to the Watchguards’ hideout.

“You’re here,” Gilberto said. He was sitting on the sofa, concentrating on typing something into a hologram window.

“Yeah. What are you doing?”

“I’m sending a message to Arthur. Recommendations for this month’s meal plans.”

“...Hey, Arthur’s not a kid. Do you really need to do that?”

“It brings me ease of mind. And Arthur is still a kid.”

Seo Jun-Ho had never seen someone so smitten with their son. He scoffed. “Then why don’t you do it for me?”

“...”

Gilberto glanced at him and looked back to the screen. “Nonsense. You’re a grown adult.”

“Look here, mister. In terms of age, Arthur’s older than me.”

“...” Gilberto pretended not to hear that and continued typing. He soon changed the topic. “Are you planning to keep growing your hair out like that?”

“Oh, well…” Seo Jun-Ho deflated, ruffling his long, silky hair with his fingers, he complained, “Actually, I’ve tried to cut it a few times. But whether I use scissors or a sword, Cell Regeneration grows it back.”

“Pfft. I guess you won’t be able to go to a barbershop anymore.”

“If I used Freeze to cut it, it won’t grow back,” Seo Jun-Ho said. Watchguard of Darkness (S) should be able to negate the effects of Cell Regeneration (A) quite easily. “I’ll cut it when I want to.”

“You mean after a breakup?” Gilberto asked.

“Don’t jinx me like that. I wish you’d treat me at least half as well as you treat your son,” Seo Jun-Ho grumbled. “Now, shall we get going?”

“Sure. I just sent the message, too. It has been a really long time since it’s just the two of—oh.” Gilberto suddenly realized his mistake and stopped. He looked down at the sulking Frost Queen. “My apologies. There are three of us.”

“...Well, I suppose it is your first time. I forgive your transgression,” she said.

“Thank you. This old man will be careful next time.”

The Frost Queen accepted his apology and left the hideout, saying that she would wait outside.

Gilberto smiled and approached Seo Jun-Ho’s side. “She’s a good kid. She’s as innocent as a child.”

“...She’s probably older than all of us 5 Heroes combined.”

“So what? What matters is that she’s a child right now.”

“Oh, I see,” Seo Jun-Ho sarcastically replied. It was his fault for trying to challenge him. Gilberto had a soft spot for children, and he believed that they could do no wrong.

“Let’s go, then,” Seo Jun-Ho said.

“Now that I think about it, I don’t think you told me the details yet. Where are we going?”

“Outland.” Seo Jun-Ho summoned the darkness and neatly erased any evidence that anyone had ever lived here. “We’re going to Outland.”

To the unknown world, not even the empire could reach…

***

“...”

The Heavenly Demon sat in his chair while expressionlessly sipping a cup of tea. Seeing that one sleeve was empty, it appeared that he still hadn’t fully recovered from his injuries.

Just then, the man sitting on the other side of him spoke, “What of the mission?”

“I succeeded.”

“Hm, I suppose even idiots like you have some use.”

Despite the harsh insult, the Heavenly Demon did not react because the other man had a horn on his forehead.

He was a demon.

And that was the main reason he was speaking informally to the Heavenly Demon while the latter was using a respectful tone.

“Did you bring what you promised?” the fiend asked.

“...I don’t like you. I don’t know why he favors you so much.”

“That is unnecessary. I fulfilled the mission, so please give me what you promised.”

The demon then grabbed the Heavenly Demon’s head with his giant hand. He growled while looking down at the Heavenly Demon. However, the Heavenly Demon didn’t even blink.

“Look here, you rude human. Let me give you two pieces of advice.”

“...”

“If you want to live a long life, fix that fucking tone of yours first. Your tongue will be the death of you. And if you’re standing in front of someone stronger than you, bow your head. Do you understand?”

“...I will heed your words.”

“Sigh. Why did they make me deal with a human…” The demon sighed and pulled back his hand. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two bottles the size of his fingers. “He sent these himself as a reward for your work. Be grateful as you drink.”

“...”

The Heavenly Demon received the bottles and tilted his head back, swallowing its contents all at once.

Thump! Thump!

“Ugh.” The moment it entered his mouth, a powerful sensation quickly traveled from the tip of his tongue all the way to his brain. It was only a few drops of blood, but the ecstasy it granted him was greater than any drug or drink.

“Phew.” A moment later, he pulled himself together and immediately restored his arm. The action used up some of the blood he had just consumed, but there was still some power. The abundance of energy flowing through his body was proof of that.

“Good.” There was a rare smile on the Heavenly Demon’s face.

“What’re you smiling for?” The demon crossed his arms. The fiend slowly turned to him and stared. The demon scowled as he met his eyes. “What’re you staring at?”

“...”

The Heavenly Demon lifted his hand without answering. In an instant, he summoned a powerful demonic energy to suppress the other.

“You crazy bastard!” The demon shot up from his seat in surprise.

‘He dare ambush me? A mere human?’ 

No, this was a good thing. This way, he could kill the human without any reservations.

‘I’ve never liked him.’ 

The demon had always felt that way whenever he saw him. Whenever he saw the Heavenly Demon’s white, dead eyes, he would always get filled with this foul feeling.

Crack! 

He swiftly swung his fist toward the human’s face…

“Guh…?” Blood poured from the demon’s mouth as he let out a broken cry.

His chest felt cold.

“...”

When he looked down, there was a hole in his chest.

“I have always wondered what a lesser demon’s heart tastes like.”

“...What?” The demon trembled. The human was holding his heart. “...You son of a bitch!”

Furious, the demon mustered his power. His ten claws shot out like knives and swung toward the Heavenly Demon’s neck.

Slice!

However, the human was a beat faster. His own hand severed the demon’s head first. The demon’s head depicted an expression of pain and fury as it rolled on the ground.

“...That’s why you need to bow your head before someone stronger than you,” the Heavenly Demon muttered. He chewed on the demon’s heart. “Mm…”

It didn’t taste very good. However, this was expected because the blood he had just drunk came from a demon far above in the rankings than this one.

“So, this is what it tastes like,” he remarked.

There was one other thing he had learned from this experience.

‘This means that I’m stronger than a lesser demon.’ 

Like the Fiend Association, the demons followed a hierarchy based on who was strongest. In other words, the higher-ranked demons were stronger and had more concentrated blood.

‘It is practically an elixir for a fiend like me.’ 

It was no different from an immortality potion.

Someone knocked on the door.

“Come in,” the Heavenly Demon said without even looking.

Shadow entered the room cautiously. He saw the blood scattered on the floor similar to a scene from a horror movie.

“Clean it up,” he ordered his subordinates.

“Take care of the remains as you see fit. It is of no use to me.”

“Thank you for your generosity.” Shadow bowed immediately. He pondered for a long time before he gathered the courage to speak, “But… Is it really alright for you to do this? If the Archduke finds out…”

“...” The Heavenly Demon stared at him and didn’t reply.

Sweat started to drip from Shadow’s face. Whenever the Heavenly Demon directly stared at someone’s face like this, it meant he was in a bad mood.

“The demons cannot throw us away first,” he whispered.

‘I… I don’t think I can ask why.’ 

Shadow really wanted to ask, but he held it in. His life was more important than satisfying his curiosity. However, this told him that his place with the Heavenly Demon was secure. “I will follow your orders.”

As always, the Heavenly Demon did not reply. Instead, he asked his own question.

“How is the Association faring?”

“It has never been this chaotic. While the executives know you are alive, the Squadron Leaders are locked in a struggle for power within the Association now that their master has disappeared,” Shadow explained.

“...How fun.” The Heavenly Demon let out a small laugh. How could he not? As soon as their master left, the dogs were trying to take his place. “Shadow. Why do you think the Fiend Association exists?”

“...To take in the fiends rejected by the world, and to keep the Players in check…”

“Incorrect.” The Heavenly Demon said in an amused voice. “The reason for the Fiend Association’s continuous existence is not so grandiose.” He showed Shadow his newly-created arm. “It is like this arm. Even if it is cut off, it makes little difference. I can simply make another one. It is just an entity to carry out my every order.”

“...”

Shadow was sweating hard. He had never thought that the Heavenly Demon would think of the Fiend Association in such a way.

‘He considers fiends as expendable resources.’ 

He finally understood why they had launched that invasion on the 1st floor. Many fiends died in vain back then.

“I alone am enough to keep the Players in line. If I need servants, all I need are the executives.”

Shadow felt a great sense of relief inside. He swore that he had never been so happy to be an executive of the Fiend Association.

“Locate the Players,” the Heavenly Demon suddenly ordered.

“The Players…You mean on each floor?”

“Correct. I cannot make the same mistake twice.” He was talking about the way he had been tricked by the Players’ movements this time around. “Locate the Big 6 as well as the Rankers. Send fiends to the upper floors.”

“Understood.”

Failing once had made the Heavenly Demon stronger and more cautious. After giving his orders, he closed his eyes and was lost in his own thoughts for a long time, pondering what would be the best possible revenge for the ones who had killed him.