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Chapter 241: Ballroom (2)

A crimson moon hung in the sky. Jet-black, twisted trees lined the path like streetlights, leading towards a grand avenue stretching into the distance.

"Ooh! The scent of sulfur, the crimson sky! My homeland, the Demon Realm!"

"Are you that happy?"

"Haha! Yes, I am! Vulcan is overjoyed right now!"

Sniff

Sigh

Vulcan took a deep breath, his brows furrowing.

"This place feels familiar. It seems like the old castle in the Parun region."

"Where\'s that?"

"It\'s in the southern part of the Demon Realm. One of the major battlefields. I led many mercenary groups there."

Vulcan pointed towards a jet-black castle standing tall in the distance.

\'Is that where the ball is being held?\'

Since he had the invitation, they were probably summoned nearby.

"You two stay inside for now. I\'ll summon you when the time comes."

He recalled Merhen and Cedric.

Based on his experiences in the past fragments, undead weren\'t particularly welcome in the Demon Realm.

His only companions were Vulcan and Hayang, who was following behind him, invisible.

When they reached the castle gates, they saw a massive crowd. Countless carriages lined up in an endless queue.

Demons were hawking their wares on the streets, trying to sell as much as possible. The guards at the entrance were haggling fiercely with people who seemed to be butlers.

— I\'m telling you, that price won\'t do!

— Oh, come on! Let me tell you about my lord, Baron Marphis. He\'s a valiant lord of the south and a demon of...

— That\'s exactly why he can\'t attend this banquet with just that much.

— You insolent fool! How dare you insult Baron Marphis, the loyal subordinate of the great demon, Pisraum, ranked 40th!

— Can\'t you see behind you? The place is overflowing with barons like him. There are countless nobles here, their eyes bloodshot, trying to make connections with the great demons you mentioned.

— ...

— So, this amount won\'t do. Offer more, or just go gnaw on some Hell Hound skewers over there at the left stall.

The guard said nonchalantly, picking his ear with his pinky.

It was quite an interesting sight.

\'Demons aren\'t that different from humans.\'

The butler retreated, looking dejected.

After observing him for a bit, he approached the castle gate.

Just then...

— Hey, you two! Stop!

Someone shouted at them.

He turned around to see demons, who had been queuing between the carriages, glaring at them.

— I don\'t know where you human bastards came from, but can\'t you see the line? Cutting in line is not allowed.

The demon\'s gaze was filled with a subtle hint of disdain.

\'Let\'s see how impressive you are.\'

He looked at the demon, and his Demon Eye activated automatically.

[Hammer]

[Level: 426]

[Race: Demon]

[Favorability: -50]

[Equipment: Wearing a set of Ragged Clothes.]

[Thoughts on the Target: A lowly human dares to cut in line?]

It was clear that he had a severe case of humanophobia.

Just as he was about to say something...

"Master, don\'t lower yourself to their level. Just stay put."

Vulcan said with a smirk and walked towards the demon.

With each step Vulcan took, Hammer\'s eyes started to shake uncontrollably.

He was completely overwhelmed by the chilling aura emanating from Vulcan\'s body, like a human facing a tiger.

It was a truly \'demonic\' aura. Far more intense than that of his own master, Baron Marphis!

"Hey."

— ...Wh-who are you? Are you perhaps a human from \'Galaxy\'...?

Grip

Vulcan grabbed the demon\'s shoulder and said,

"Do I still look human to you?"

— Eek!

The demon butler collapsed, and a stream of yellow urine flowed from his pants. The overwhelming fear made it impossible for him to control his bladder.

The other demons\' eyes widened in shock.

There were countless demon races. Among them, the demons were known for their bravery.

Even a mere butler couldn\'t change his inherent nature. Who would have thought a human could overpower a demon with just his aura?

Even the nobles gathered here couldn\'t easily accomplish such a feat.

Several nobles poked their heads out of their carriages, their eyes gleaming.

— Hey there. Would you be interested in working for me...

Vulcan coolly turned his back and headed towards the castle gate, ignoring them completely. But the demons\' eyes shone with even more intense greed.

The deeply ingrained nature of demons.

Respect for the strong.

This one rule remained unchanged, both in the past and present.

"Wow, that was pretty cool. Did you do that for me?"

"A master who asks that directly has no sense of romance."

"We\'re going to be together for a long time, so let\'s be honest with each other."

"Whatever. Let\'s just go in. I\'m bored to death."

He nodded and approached the guard. The commotion at the entrance had made the guards more alert.

"Excuse me."

— Yes, how can I help you?

"I received an invitation."

— ...An invitation?

"This one."

As he showed the masquerade ball invitation, the guard\'s back straightened.

— We have confirmed your status as a VIP! Please enter!

The guard, who had just chased away the baron\'s butler, now opened the way with a wide smile.

It was inevitable.

Judging by the antique elegance and seal of the invitation, it was undoubtedly issued directly by a Demon Lord!

\'Andromalius, it\'s probably his.\'

Although he was the lowest-ranked Demon Lord at 72nd, it also meant he was one of the strongest beings in the vast Demon Realm, holding the 72nd position.

If he was Andromalius\' guest, it meant he was someone even the guards couldn\'t dare to stop. Naturally, asking for a \'bribe\' was out of the question.

They entered the castle gates and found themselves in a tremendously lavish banquet hall.

A group of demons were sipping wine, their gazes fixed on them.

These were qualitatively different from the demons they had encountered at the gate earlier. Their status was at least that of a count or higher.

If the Demon Lords were kings of a region, these were the great lords who ruled over those regions.

\'They all have quite high levels.\'

Even a cursory glance at them revealed that.

[Malos]

[Level: 1,721]

[Race: Incubus]

[Favorability: 21]

[Equipment: Looks like it was picked up from a secondhand market, but it\'s decent enough to wear.]

[Thoughts on the Target: A human worthy of an invitation here? I wonder where he\'s from?]

The incubus sipped his wine, subtly observing them.

Judging by his position in a corner, he didn\'t seem to be of high status at this ball. Even so, he was at a whopping level 1,700.

The other demons were roughly similar.

Just then...

A demon whose eyes met his smile and approached them.

— Greetings. I am Malos. I have the humble duty of managing the army\'s supplies under Lord Orias.

"I am Kim Minwoo."

— I see, Mr. Kim Minwoo. This is fate, shall we shake hands?

As the demon extended his hand...

[\'Stole Vulcan\'s Eyes\' effect activated!]

[The \'demon\' in front of you feels considerable pressure!]

Flinch!

Malos shuddered violently.

\'Wh-what\'s this?\'

He was clearly just an ordinary-looking human. At least, that\'s how he seemed until he offered a handshake.

But the moment he extended his hand...

A chilling pressure washed over him.

Malos wasn\'t the only one who felt it. All the high-ranking demons around them started staring at Kim Minwoo. The small, seemingly insignificant human was now exuding an aura as imposing as a giant.

Gulp

Someone swallowed nervously.

Malos, frozen in the position of offering a handshake, was sweating profusely, unable to move.

— Well, well. Look who\'s here.

A familiar voice echoed through the hall.

Andromalius had appeared at the banquet, smiling with a playful glint in his eyes.

[Andromalius]

[Level: 5,211]

[A high-ranking opponent. Consuming mana is required to view more information.]

Level 5,000.

Even if he was at the bottom of the ranks, he was definitely a Demon Lord. He waved at him.

"Oh, Mr. Ahn. Long time no see."

— Oh, that\'s sad. My name is Andromalius. Well, it is a bit long, haha.

Andromalius approached with a playful air and looked at Malos.

— Get lost. You\'re not someone worthy of even speaking to him.

— M-my apologies.

Finally released from the overwhelming pressure, Malos hurriedly bowed his head and scurried away.

— It\'s been a while, Mr. Kim Minwoo. Your reputation on Earth has been quite impressive lately. As expected of the human I took notice of.

"How did you hear about that?"

— Ever since I met you, Mr. Minwoo, I\'ve been keeping a close eye on Earth. But who is that next to you? He doesn\'t seem human...

"He\'s my summoned creature."

— Ah, I see. So he\'s disguised as a human?

"Something like that."

Andromalius nodded at his words and then asked with a gentle smile.

— By the way, did you find my power useful?

"Ah, that power?"

— Yes. The power to find hidden treasures. It seems like you put it to good use...

"Well, it was alright. It was somewhat useful."

To be precise, it had led to a massive windfall.

The Mountain of Treasures.

Thanks to Mr. Ahn\'s power activating there, he had managed to obtain the one and only \'very, very good box disguised and hidden.\'

— I\'m glad to hear that. It makes me happy that you used it well.

"But didn\'t you say all the Demon Lords would gather here? It\'s a bit quiet for such a banquet."

— Ah, that. It\'s simple. Not all the Demon Lords have arrived yet.

Andromalius said with a grin.

— It will take another half a day for all the slowpokes to gather. I set the activation time for the invitations a bit early. So... could you spare me some time?

"To arrange a proxy?"

— No, I just want to chat. This will be my last chance.

"Sure, why not."

— You agreed so readily?

"You said we have some time, right? And you gave me the invitation and the power, so I should at least do this much."

He wasn\'t a selfless giver, was he?

For Mr. Ahn, who had been so generous, sparing a bit of time was something he could easily do.

And, crucially...

"I also have something to tell you."

— Oh? To me? That makes me curious. Alright, let\'s go.

He followed Andromalius deeper into the banquet hall.

Andromalius had rented an entire room in a secluded area and led Kim Minwoo inside.

— Do you have a preferred drink? Coffee? Juice? Tea? Or perhaps just water?

"I\'m not thirsty. Let\'s get to the point. We\'re both busy people."