Chapter 185: Floor 17 Hidden (2)

World Linkage.

It was my first time experiencing something like this, but it wasn't particularly surprising.

But if this really was the same world as the 2nd Floor... when exactly was this taking place?

‘They were just saying something about the Knight Commander rebelling.’

That sounded like it was referring to what I'd gone through in the 2nd Floor Hidden Route.

My mission back then had been to help a Demon Young Lady escape from a knight who had betrayed her family.

So did that mean this was taking place after that?

Was the story from the 2nd Floor Hidden Route actually continuing from where it had left off?

Still under Concealment, I went back to eavesdropping on the Demons.

“I heard the Champions are going to fight to decide whether the War Demon God gets revived?”

“They say Keilteir brought in someone incredibly powerful from the Bahel Church...”

“Anyway, if the rumors are true, it's going to be one hell of a tournament. Damn shame we won't get to watch it!”

After piecing together everything I'd overheard, this was what I came up with.

The Twenty-Six Families would soon gather at a place called Kagolak to decide whether to revive the War Demon God.

From the context, the Twenty-Six Families seemed to refer to the twenty-six foremost families among the Demons.

The Champions put forward by each family would fight, and everyone would follow the decision of the side that won.

I'd also learned various other things, like how the Demon King was dead and the humans and Demons were currently at war, but...

I asked the Demon King.

‘This isn't your world either, is it?’

- No.

There had been a Demon King in Seri's world too. They really did show up everywhere. Was “Demon King” some kind of universal naming convention?

Anyway, the most important part seemed to be the revival of the War Demon God that the families were gathering to decide on.

A Demon God, for crying out loud.

It sounded ominous just from the name.

I stopped time and thought.

‘For now...’

It seemed like I needed to go to this Kagolak place too.

Could stopping the War Demon God's revival be the clear condition?

If the War Demon God revived, wouldn't the world be destroyed and take me along with it?

It sounded plausible, but I couldn't be certain.

Whatever the case, I needed to go there myself and see how things played out.

The problem was that I was human.

Even putting the race issue aside, I wasn't qualified to attend a gathering of noble families in the first place.

Did that mean I'd have to sneak in and watch from the shadows?

But anyone strong enough could potentially see through Concealment, and it didn't last forever either.

Ideally, I wanted to become an actual participant so I could interfere directly...

‘...Should I make use of the Dafria Family?’

Hadn't they given me a ring back then and said they'd grant me one request if I ever came to the family?

From what the Demons had been saying, Dafria was one of the Twenty-Six Families.

Though it sounded like they weren't in any position to participate because of the rebellion within their own family.

Either way, I decided the first thing I needed to do was find the Dafria Family.

I could get more detailed information from them and, ideally, find some way to attend the gathering at Kagolak, even if only in a minor capacity.

I looked around the tavern.

“Gahaha! So then I smashed that all-brawn bastard right in the jaw...”

A group of Demons who looked like soldiers, or maybe mercenaries, were making a racket at one of the tables.

I walked over and swiftly swiped the helmet sitting on the table.

‘Sorry.’

It was a horned helmet that covered the entire face.

The Demon immediately noticed his helmet was gone and shouted.

“What the fuck?! Where's my helmet?!”

He glared viciously around the room, grabbed some innocent guy from a nearby table, and growled.

“Was it you?! Give me my helmet if you don't want to die!”

“The fuck's your problem? You looking for a fight?!”

The Demons promptly started beating the hell out of each other.

I left the tavern and put on the helmet.

A helmet would look less suspicious than a mask.

I also swiped a pair of gloves from a street stall selling clothes. I needed them to hide the color of my skin.

“Excuse me.”

Then I dropped Concealment and started asking people on the street about the Dafria Family.

“Excuse me? I'll be rude too, asshole!”

Maybe Demons were naturally on the aggressive side, because some of them responded to being spoken to by immediately throwing a punch...

“Aaagh! I'm sorry! Please spare me!”

But if I caught their fist and gave it a light squeeze, they became much more cooperative.

That was how I gathered information about the Dafria Family.

Their territory was currently occupied by Knight Commander Carlos.

The Family Head had been defeated by the Knight Commander and had fled to the Blunhill Family, his wife's family.

The Dafria territory they were talking about had to be the castle and forest from the 2nd Floor, right?

Anyway, that meant the place I needed to go right now was the Blunhill Family.

I needed to meet the Family Head before I could use the ring to ask for anything.

“Th-The Blunhill Family is that way, to the east. Cross two mountains and you'll find Blunhill Castle.”

“How long does it take to get there? Is it far?”

“Not very far. About ten days on foot...?”

So probably more than a thousand kilometers.

That wasn't far.

I could warp there, or even travel there myself. With my current physical abilities, it wouldn't take me an hour.

At full speed, I could easily exceed the speed of sound.

Still, I needed to save as much time as possible, so I lined myself up in the right direction and decided to use the Warp Device.

[0:01]

After waiting for the ten-minute activation period, I warped.

I arrived in the mountains.

I climbed high into the sky and surveyed the area. In the distance, I spotted a large castle halfway up a mountain.

Looked like I'd found it right away.

I headed toward the castle.

Once I got close, I could see villagers farming in the settlements surrounding it.

‘Demons farm too, huh.’

Well, they had to eat too. I guess that made sense.

I passed over the village and landed in front of the castle gate.

The guards recoiled at the sight of me dropping out of the sky and leveled their spears.

“Who are you?!”

I held out the ring engraved with the Dafria crest.

“I'm a guest.”

‘What if this didn't work?’

The guards stared blankly back and forth between me and the ring before one of them hurried inside.

A short while later, a commotion broke out and a group of knights came rushing outside.

‘Oh.’

Among them was a face that looked somehow familiar.

The Demon girl standing among the knights spotted me and shouted with a bright smile.

“Kimsuhyun!”

‘Wait...’

‘What was her name again?’

“Lady Halo?”

“...It's Heilin! Have you already forgotten This Lady's name?!”

‘Right. Heilin, I think.’

Judging from her reaction, the story from the floor 2 hidden route really was continuing exactly where it had left off.

Heilin glared at me with a pout for a moment, but then her expression softened and she smiled again.

“I'm glad to see you're safe. Do you know how shocked This Lady was when you suddenly disappeared back then? How did you find your way here?”

“Well...”

“Ah, never mind that. Come inside first!”

I followed Heilin into the castle.

She led me to what looked like a reception room, and after I'd waited there for a while, Heilin personally brought in some tea.

“Make yourself comfortable. This Lady told the servants not to come in, so there's no need to keep wearing that helmet in here.”

I took off the helmet.

Heilin stared intently at my face before her cheeks turned red.

“Ahem.”

Hmm... Now that I thought about it, her tastes weren't exactly normal.

Still, if it made her look more favorably on me, there was no downside.

Heilin cleared her throat and asked,

“So, Kimsuhyun, why have you come all the way to Blunhill Castle? D-Did you perhaps come because you wanted to see This Lady's face?”

“Yes, well, that too. But where is the Family Head...?”

I'd come here because I'd heard the head of the Dafria Family was staying here.

Heilin's expression darkened slightly, and she gave a bitter smile.

“Father is a little unwell at the moment. I've already told him an important guest has arrived, so he should be here to see you soon.”

Unwell, huh.

Hadn't they said the Family Head had been defeated by that traitorous Knight Commander?

Heilin explained the circumstances without me even having to ask.

“After you saved This Lady back then, I immediately went to where Father was. He set out at once to punish Carlos, but... that bastard resorted to some vile scheme, and Father was injured and forced to retreat here. I'm sure you've heard at least some of the rumors going around.”

I see.

I vaguely remembered the background story from the 2nd Floor.

Apparently some time had passed since then, and several things had happened in the meantime.

I changed the subject and got straight to the point.

“There's something I'd like to ask you.”

“What is it? Ask anything.”

“I heard the Twenty-Six Families will soon gather in Kagolak to decide whether to revive the War Demon God... When exactly is that happening?”

Heilin answered with a puzzled look.

“Three days from now. Why do you ask?”

Three days. I still had some time.

I asked another question.

“I heard each family is putting forward a Champion, and whichever side wins gets to make the decision. Is that right?”

“Mm. That's right. With the Demon King's throne vacant, the families are sharply divided between two opposing sides... But we can't very well have the Family Heads fighting each other at a time like this, so that was the compromise they reached.”

“Then can they choose anyone they want as their Champion?”

“I heard there are no particular qualifications, so I assume so. But why are you...”

That was when it happened.

A set of footsteps approached, and the door to the reception room opened.

A middle-aged Demon with a massive horn protruding from his forehead entered.

I could tell immediately that he was the head of the Dafria Family.

Heilin rose from her seat, so I stood as well.

The Family Head saw me and his expression hardened.

“...My daughter told me about you, but you truly are human.”

Heilin quickly stepped forward as if to protest.

“He's a good human who risked his life to save me, Father! And...”

The Family Head raised a hand, cutting her off.

I greeted him first.

“My name is Kim Seo-hyeon. It's a pleasure to meet you.”

The Family Head returned my greeting.

“I am Gakil Dafria. Have a seat.”

I sat back down across from Gakil, the head of the Dafria Family. Heilin took the seat beside him.

Gakil spoke.

“First, I must thank you for saving my precious daughter. Race is irrelevant when one owes another a debt of gratitude.”

“It was nothing.”

“Why have you come all the way to Blunhill Castle? Did you come to see Heilin, or did you come because you wished to meet me?”

I took out the ring and showed it to him.

“I came to use this.”

“...”

“When Lady Heilin gave this to me, she said you would grant me any one request. I need that favor now.”

Gakil glanced at Heilin, then looked back at me.

“...As long as it lies within the family's power, we are obliged to grant whatever you ask. What do you want? Wealth?”

“No. I want you to take me with you as your Champion when the decision is made on the War Demon God's revival.”

Silence settled over the room.

Heilin stared at me with wide eyes, while Gakil...

He seemed to be looking at me like I was insane.

Gakil spoke again.

“You are human.”

“Yes.”

“And Demons and humans are currently at war. Is this some... new kind of espionage? Why are you being so brazen about it? This is absurd.”

I shook my head.

“I'm not a spy. It's just for personal reasons.”

“That request cannot be granted.”

“Didn't you just say you'd grant me anything?”

“I said anything within the family's power. Have you lost your mind? You want me to bring a human to a gathering where every ruler of demonkind will be present?”

I put the helmet back on.

“Wouldn't I pass unnoticed with my face covered like this?”

“Don't be ridiculous. Humans and Demons have different auras to begin with. There's no way they wouldn't notice.”

Really?

That was a problem.

“So if I solve that problem, we're good? Isn't there some kind of disguise magic?”

“Unless you were transformed by a dragon's Polymorph, do you honestly think ordinary disguise magic could fool the Family Heads? Enough of this nonsense. I'm only being patient because you saved my daughter.”

Gakil let his pressure roll off him, apparently trying to intimidate me.

I let it wash over me without batting an eye.

‘So that won't work.’

If there was no other way, would I really have to go to Kagolak alone and sneak in...?

Still not ready to give up, I asked again.

“Is there really no way for me to use that dragon Polymorph?”

Gakil, who had been staring at me in surprise, let out a disbelieving laugh.

“Why don't you go find a dragon yourself and ask one?”

“Where are the dragons? If I go ask one, will it actually work?”

“Listen, what exactly are you trying to...”

Gakil looked ready to lose his temper, but then sighed in resignation.

“Please, stop making absurd requests I cannot grant. The Dafria Family isn't even in a position to travel to Kagolak right now. We haven't put down the rebellion, I was defeated by a traitor, and we haven't even reclaimed our own castle. How am I supposed to go anywhere in this state?”

Heilin nodded with a gloomy expression.

I thought for a moment before speaking.

“So that means there are two problems right now. One is that I'm human, and the other is that you haven't dealt with that traitor, Carlos or whatever his name is.”

“...?”

“Let me ask you one thing. I'm not joking, so please answer seriously. Where is this dragon? If I find one myself, is there a way to have it Polymorph me into a Demon?”

Seeing the serious look on my face, Gakil answered with obvious displeasure.

“There's a rumor that the Red Dragon in the Land of Fire at the far southern edge of the continent will grant any one wish to anyone who defeats it in a wager.”

“Then if I find the Red Dragon and win its wager, asking it to Polymorph me should be possible.”

“It would take you at least several months just to travel from here to the Land of Fire. Do you understand now why it's impossible?”

Good. Then it was worth a try.

I nodded.

“I'll take care of both problems for you. I'll start by bringing you Carlos's head.”

“What...?”

The moment I stood, Heilin hurriedly jumped to her feet as well.

“H-Have you lost your mind?! What are you even talking about?!”

Carlos, the Black Knight who had driven me to the brink of death during the floor 2 hidden route.

Back then, he'd been an opponent I had absolutely no chance of defeating, but...

Now he was nothing more than Small Fry.

I said,

“Which direction is the Dafria Family's main castle? Just point me the right way. I'll take care of it and be right back.”

Gakil stared at me, too dumbfounded to even speak.

“I understand that you are no ordinary man... but where is this confidence coming from? From what I've heard, you couldn't even stand against Carlos before. All you managed was to escape with Heilin.”

“I've gotten quite a bit stronger since then.”

“In a mere twenty days?”

Ah, so it had been about twenty days since then.

Gakil continued.

“That bastard slaughtered the retainers in the castle and performed some unknown ritual using their souls as the price. He had become far stronger than before. Even I suffered a crushing defeat after marching against him with an army, and now you're saying you'll go there alone and defeat him?”

“Just tell me where it is. If I go there and die, you won't have to grant my request, and you won't lose anything, right?”

Gakil let out a disbelieving laugh.

“Head due east from here and you will reach the Dafria Family's main castle. But didn't you come from there yourself? Why don't you know the way?”

“I'm bad with directions. How far is it?”

“About three days by carriage. Do as you please.”

“Could you point out the exact direction with your finger? Which way from here, exactly. I need to teleport there.”

“...”

Gakil stared at me as though completely at a loss for words, then finally pointed in one direction with an expression that seemed to say he wanted to see just how far I'd take this.

I faced that direction, set the distance, and activated the Warp Device.

I also registered my current location as a warp point so I could return here more easily later.

“W-What are you doing? Are you really going?!”

Heilin grabbed my arm, horrified.

I pried her hand off my arm.

“It's fine. Just wait about twenty minutes. I'll be right back.”

I let Heilin's anxious chatter wash over me for a while as she stamped her feet.

Once the Warp Device finished activating, I warped to my destination.

I arrived in a wasteland.

I rose high into the sky.

Looking around, I saw a vast forest stretching across the distance, with a tall tower rising from its center.

It was the forest from the 2nd Floor.

Looked like I'd come to the right place.

Using Air Walk, I shot toward the tower like an arrow.

I could even see the collapsed bridge I'd crossed during the floor 2 hidden route...

‘There he is.’

When I reached the tower, I spotted someone standing right on its peak.

A Black Knight clad head to toe in pitch-black armor.

Knight Commander Carlos.

Thud!

I landed in front of him.

Carlos turned toward me and drew his sword.

His voice came from inside the armor.

“So it's you, human. Have you come back here to die?”

I drew the Gatekeeper of Heaven's Sword as well.

“I'm not the one dying here. Unfortunately for you, this is where you die.”

The moment I said it, Carlos swung his sword.

Fwoooooosh!

A net of dark crimson Sword Aura came surging toward me.

‘Ah...’

It hit me all over again just how much stronger I'd become.

Well, of course it made sense. He was someone I'd struggled against back when I was on the 2nd Floor, but still... was this guy always this much of a scrub?

I swung the Gatekeeper of Heaven's Sword and unleashed Fatal Blow.

Five-colored Sword Aura erased every trace of the dark crimson Sword Aura in its path before slicing straight through Carlos's neck.

“Bye.”

Plop.

And just like that, Carlos became Car/los.

I picked up his severed head and activated the Warp Device again.

Ten minutes later, I returned to the reception room.

Gakil and Heilin were still there.

“...!”

I set Carlos's head down on the table.

Both of them stared at me in shock.

I spoke to the stunned Gakil.

“I'm going to see the dragon now. About how far is it from here?”

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