The Demon King Who Draws

Chapter 29

“Uh… ugh…”

My vision becomes clear and I regain consciousness. I must have been asleep for a long time, because my eyelids are stiff. The tears that welled up in my eyes made it hard to open them, like glue.

My body is heavy.

But heavier than that, is the fear in my heart.

I’m afraid that if I open my eyes here, everything will be gone, as if it was all a dream.

As always, I’m afraid of being alone.

That’s what scares me, Phenex.

Flash-!

But still, I open my eyes because I’m… the demon of resurrection.

Swoosh…

My body is wrapped in the vines of the garden of regeneration. If the dungeon is functioning properly, the bound demons will resurrect here. Then maybe the dungeon is safe.

But, there is no life in sight.

“…Is there no one?”

In the empty garden, only Phenex is awake.

I’m scared.

‘…I’m scared.’

Even though I’m the demon of resurrection, I wasn’t unaffected by the fierce battle.

The aftereffects of resurrection, which accumulate in my body like fatigue, well… that’s something Phenex can solve with a night’s sleep.

Ouch…

Ouch…

I don’t know how long I was unconscious, but I need some time to adjust to the process of regaining my vitality, as if my dislocated bones are being put back in place.

Good.

I’m fine.

‘As long as… everyone is safe.’

Step…

Step…

Phenex walks slowly.

If it was normal, I would run around without rest, asking everyone how they are, and smiling brightly. But now, I can’t do that even if I force myself.

I wonder if everyone really disappeared.

If this is the last luxury I enjoy in my nest.

The coldness of the dungeon, which doesn’t feel any warmth, is indescribable.

‘…Did everyone leave? And… did Phenex stay alone?’

You said it would be fine.

You acted like everything would be okay, as long as I worked hard.

Everything… in its place…

‘Why is there no one?’

The face of Faust, the owner of the nest, came to my mind vaguely. The contractor who always has a blank expression.

I don’t know if it’s confidence or indifference that’s hidden behind his cold face… He’s a mysterious demon.

“Ugh…”

My lips curl up, revealing my current emotional state.

Anxiety!

Extreme anxiety!

I feel like tears will fall from my big eyes any moment. The pain of loss doesn’t fade. It sticks like a thorn, and causes agony whenever I touch it.

‘I don’t want to be alone again.’

Finally, I stand in front of the door to the heart.

For the first time in a while, I open the door with a breath of wind.

I hope there is a scene I want beyond this.

“Please… pleeeaaase!”

Boom-!

The door finally opens, and the scene of the heart is revealed.

In the heart… all the demons of the dungeon are gathered. And they all look at me, who opened the door.

“…Huh?”

I feel a chill from the demon standing next to the throne. Lucifer looks… a bit annoyed.

“Eek…”

Squeak…

As if nothing happened, I try to close the door again, but I hear Lucifer’s voice breaking the silence.

“That’s rude, Phenex. Not to mention impolite.”

Oh no.

I messed up!

Everything Lucifer says is scary.

I shrink and want to hide somewhere.

Then, salvation comes.

“Are you awake?”

The voice I wished for.

It’s Faust.

Peek!

Phenex sticks out her head through the door.

She smiles brightly.

“Yes-!”

Faust’s lips twitch slightly as he sees her answer cheerfully.

‘…Huh?’

He looks like he’s smiling. That Faust!

‘What’s going on…? Something… changed…’

But it was a fleeting moment, and there was no trace left.

“That’s it, the meeting is over.”

He says the closing remarks.

“Everyone… worked hard.”

The dungeon defense was so hard that everyone was exhausted, but his words made the fatigue melt away. It wasn’t a particularly kind or affectionate word.

He’s really… really a strange man.

Bow-!

All the demons bow their heads.

“Yes.”

Phenex also smiles with her whole face, and bows her head deeper than anyone else in this place.

We protected it.

We protected it.

For the first time, her nest.

With everyone’s effort.

* * *

Hmmm…

The scent of tea flows into my nostrils.

Sip…

The bitter taste of tea, and its temperature.

I feel everything.

The colorless world has now come to me with a new resonance.

Maybe it should have been like that long ago. It’s just that I couldn’t accept this color.

The comfort of the throne I sit on, the warmth of the teacup, and…

Blink… blink…

The light in Lucifer’s eyes, who looks at me with curiosity.

I finally realize it fully.

“Lord Faust.”

“…”

“Is there any problem?”

Problem… yes, there were many problems.

They were all solvable with one action.

Kim Seo-jin became Faust.

From now on, I will live as Faust.

That ended all the previous problems.

However, now it’s time to face new problems as Faust, not Kim Seo-jin.

The preparations to live as Faust.

Behind those preparations, there is a wild and rough thought that Faust, the being, will change the world as he pleases to be happy.

But now, I don’t care. Faust was a being who was destined to be trampled on from the moment he was born.

Rather than being trampled on, I will trample on.

To do that, I need to immerse myself more in this world.

‘First… the surroundings.’

From now on, every piece of information that comes to me, I can’t think of them lightly.

‘For example…’

Lucifer, who is standing next to me.

Her hair, eyes, and clothes.

They are all information, if you think about it.

She was the same as the unknown I first encountered when I fell into this world.

‘Clothes…’

She mostly wears dark blue and black clothes. If I have to say, is she like a butler?

‘Now that I think about it, those gloves…’

She always wore white gloves.

Why?

“Never…”

“…”

“You don’t take off your gloves. Is there a reason?”

My inner thoughts popped out.

It wasn’t a very suspicious thing to say, so I waited for an answer.

“That’s…”

She hesitated a bit.

‘Is it a weakness? Or a scar from a burn?’

She might have some pain or secret hidden.

“This place is… filthy…”

…Huh?

“…I’m sorry. I can’t stand filth. It’s an instinctive rejection.”

…Was that her personality?

Now that I think about it, she has been taking care of the cleaning of the heart since she came here.

That’s the case for this heart.

Two people died in the heart, but there was no trace of blood or stains.

Not to mention, there was a strange smell in the heart.

That part… bothered me.

But, it’s not an incomprehensible phenomenon.

It’s just… one of the indifference that disappeared without reaching the realm of understanding.

“You must be very uncomfortable here.”

Lucifer’s expression twisted a bit.

“If it’s where Lord Faust is, it’s not… too bad.”

“You have to tell me the truth.”

Without a moment of hesitation, the answer came back.

“I’m uncomfortable. It’s so filthy that I feel bad just breathing.”

…You didn’t have to be that honest.

“…It needs to be improved soon.”

“Please!”

“If there’s anything else that bothers you…”

“Can I tell you now?”

She was more passionate than ever, and I was momentarily taken aback.

“…Let’s talk about this part later, when it’s a bit more organized.”

“Oh, just one thing. I need some good tea.”

“Tea?”

Lucifer likes tea.

That’s why she endures this place, where breathing alone makes her feel bad, without complaining.

“Can I follow you on your next outing?”

“Hmm…”

“If it’s a difficult request, please forget it.”

It’s not difficult.

It’s just that I don’t like the idea of leaving the dungeon without me and Lucifer.

It’s better for someone to guard the throne.

‘Well… it should be fine for a while, since I defeated Cal Curso.’

I hate the outside activities, but they are necessary, so I’ll go out again soon.

Before that, there are a few things I need to sort out.

How to live from now on.

‘My two years of experience are only the beginning of the story, so there’s no point in worrying ahead of time.’

If things go on like this, I’ll end up knowing nothing when time passes.

Then, I’ll have a limit on my own.

So I have to keep in mind to find comrades who will make a better world for the demons… for Faust.

The first thing that comes to mind is the test subjects who were on the guillotine with me.

‘The brothers of the guillotine.’

Some of them must be hiding somewhere by now. Contacting them is still a long way off.

‘If not them…’

Of course… them.

‘The Seven Deadly Sins.’

They were the leaders of one of the factions that divided Solaria, the demons. They were also called the seven demon kings.

They burned their lives for the downfall of the empire, so they were never easy to meet.

‘I have to collect some information about the Seven Deadly Sins. I met them by chance in the story… but in the current situation where things don’t go as the story, I have to make the coincidence inevitable.’

In that sense, I had to develop the dungeon as well as increase the outside activity personnel.

…It was a dreamlike thing when I had no time, but I have the reward I got from defeating Cal Curso.

[You have stopped a powerful enemy compared to the level of the dungeon.]

[Luck is on your side for the loot acquisition.]

[The dungeon defense mission is over.]

[Mission result: Cal Curso and 4 others (dead)]

[As a reward for the dungeon defense mission, you get the intruder’s belongings.]

[You were lucky. You get 4,500 magic stones from the intruder’s belongings.]

[You get a bundle of scrolls from the intruder’s belongings.]

[You have a great luck. You get a repentance stone from the intruder’s belongings.]

[Luck follows you. You get 1,500 hidden magic stones from the intruder’s belongings.]

[You were lucky. The news of the intruder did not reach anyone.]

[Tip: You never know how long your luck will last. Check your intelligence network.]

The biggest reward, the repentance stone, had a separate use. This wasn’t supposed to be something that dropped from Cal Curso, the stage 1 boss…

‘…It changed.’

Just like Cal Curso had an absurd strength, the reward also changed.

Well, this part can be thought of later, and the important thing now is that I have 6,000 magic stones in my hands.

Enough for 20 years.

However, I’m still wondering when to put these magic stones into the gacha.

“Lucifer.”

“Yes, Lord Faust.”

“Bring me something to write.”

“…Yes.”

It took less than a minute for the poor quality paper and quill to be given to me.

‘I have to replenish the writing tools when I visit the village again.’

I scribbled something with the quill that was breaking.

The pickup schedule for the future, and the important demons.

Among them, the list of demons that I emphasized with a lot of stars.

Great Demon Baal (Importance: ★★★★★)

Great Demon Paimon (Importance: ★★★★)

Great Demon Asmodeus (Importance: ★★★)

Great Demon Amon (Importance: ★★★★★)

…

It’s the list of great demons.

Great demons have a much lower acquisition rate than ordinary demons, and their performance is also excellent.

If you want to get all the great demons fully enhanced, you have to be prepared to pull out the roots of your house, they are so expensive.

Tick-

Tick-

I marked their names with gold with the quill.

Great Demon Baal (Importance: ★★★★★)

Great Demon Paimon (Importance: ★★★★)

…

I erase them from my mind from now on.

It would be nice to get a great demon from the beginning, but I’m not that lucky, so I have to come up with a realistic plan.

Astaroth or Purupuru are the good demons that have a relatively close pickup schedule, but even then, there’s still a long way to go.

Maybe by then, the carp Faust will be already dead and gone.

‘I have to compromise. I can’t delay the gacha.’

I can’t be like Sun Wukong, who died from exploding while gathering energy to use the wish-granting gem.

As much as possible, rationally.

Efficiently!

In that sense…

Isn’t it time to gacha now?