'Ha! You want to make a deal? The one who wants to make a deal has sealed all my magic power?'

"Stop talking nonsense and kill me."

[Haha, I knew it wouldn't be easy.]

"Ha, not easy? I'm at a loss for words. It seems you came here knowing who I am. Do you think I need a deal?"

[Ah~ I know. Of course I know. But it'll only take a moment, so just listen. You can decide whether to die or not after that, right?]

Taras, who smiled brightly, set foot on the ground, and the subspace, which had been only darkness, became brightly lit.

[Ah, I don't like dark things.]

You crazy bastard. I should have known when the priests were muttering about light in the darkness!

[Here's the deal. I'll help you. So you have to help me too.]

"Are you crazy? Does a god have anything to get help from a mere human?"

[Of course there is. Aren't you curious... why you were reincarnated with your memories intact?]

Lucas's body trembled at Taras's question. It was something he had wondered about dozens, no, hundreds of times while living as a human.

Why those damn angels had made such a foolish mistake, or if someone had played a trick.

In addition, no one, not even an angel, had ever looked in on him, who was living as a weak human. When they had been chattering about him being a very precious soul that the main god had chosen.

He had wondered every time he was sick and tired of human life. Sometimes he even suspected that this was all just a very long dream.

[In the near future, the world will be turned upside down. Very... very much. You are an important key to face the end... shall we say?]

"Explain it so I can understand."

[I can only explain it like this for now. But when that time comes, stand by my side and help me.]

-Pfft

A sigh escaped from Lucas's mouth.

"I'm at a loss for words. It's none of my business whether the world is turned upside down or not. You know that well, don't you?"

[I know. But you'll be a little tempted when you hear this story.]

"......?"

[Eternal sleep. And eternal extinction. I'll give you that.]

His words were truly sweet. Something he had wanted and wanted for the past five thousand long years.

To die forever. To end his long life and enter eternal sleep.

[Think carefully. And if you end your life now to vent your anger on me... I'll cleanly get rid of everything around you. So that not even a soul is left.]

Everything around him. At that moment, numerous figures flashed through his mind.

All the people who were by his side now.

"...Do you think that's a threat to me now? Ha, that's funny."

It was a complete bluff. In fact, he was suffocated at the thought that they had to die for no reason because of the decision he had made.

[Right? Then what. I'll kill you right now. Everything around you.]

"Do as you please."

He played a strong hand.

In fact, there must be a reason why a god would come to him, a mere human, and propose a deal.

And he wanted him, a human, not himself after he became a god?

It must be because he had something important.

[Haha, it's not working, is it? I'm not asking you to decide right away. Come to the Demon God Temple anytime you change your mind.]

"You're talking nonsense. Stop talking nonsense and get lost."

[Well, when the time comes, you'll have to stand somewhere. Whether in a human body... or as a god.]

"Get lost."

He tried to speak as calmly as possible, but in fact, it was a relief.

"Cough!"

Then Lucas, who could not overcome Taras's divine power, vomited blood.

[I guess I've been here too long.]

'You son of a b-tch. If you know, get lost quickly!'

He felt like he was going to die.

Lucas was now keenly feeling, 'Ah! This is what it's like to die, the last time I died was nothing.'

[Ah, and... there's a crazy bastard in the divine world who preaches love... you'd better be careful of him.]

Taras's body slowly floated up.

[Really, really be careful. And think carefully!]

Taras, who was chattering until the end, even though he, a human, was about to die, vomiting blood because of him.

"Gak! I... that bastard... I'll definitely..."

As Taras's body gradually scattered, darkness fell on the subspace again.

"I'll definitely... kill him..."

-Thump!

In the end, Lucas's body, which could not endure it, collapsed helplessly.

***

"...d! Lord!!!"

When he opened his eyes, Aman was shaking him and calling him endlessly.

"Khuk..."

As he got up, a severe pain, as if his internal organs were twisted, came over him.

"Your internal injuries are severe. What in the world happened! The subspace won't even open...!"

Aman's eyes were red, he had been so worried.

"...It's okay."

He tried to speak as calmly as possible, but his voice was hoarse, as if his throat was injured.

"I've been pouring healing magic on you, but it's no use! What in the world...!"

"It'll be okay if I rest a little. Don't worry too much."

He tried to smile at Aman's worry, but his lips trembled in pain.

"More importantly, what happened?"

"That's what I want to ask! No, the high priest has turned to ashes, and the other two priests are also dead. But the Lord is lying here..."

"I see."

"No, but... are you saying the Lord doesn't know what happened either?"

Lucas was in a dilemma for a moment. Whether he should tell Aman everything that had just happened or not.

"...I'm tired. I need to rest first."

"But you need to be treated..."

"It's not something that can be treated. I'll take care of my own body, so don't worry unnecessarily."

"...I understand."

Aman held back the questions he wanted to ask at Lucas's rebuke.

'...He'll tell me someday.'

Aman helped Lucas up.

"I'll tell you everything when the time comes."

Lucas finally added a word as he saw Aman's drooping eyes.

"Yes. Lord."

***

The internal injuries were more severe than he had thought.

"Phew..."

Lucas, who had endured the groans that came out every time he moved his body, lay on the bed and continued to think about this and that.

The appearance of the Demon God and his sweet proposal.

Eternal extinction and eternal sleep. The words he had whispered kept ringing in his ears.

'But what does he want from me, a human?'

The appearance of the Demon God? Right, he could understand that, giving a hundred concessions. Since the high priest was about to die, well, if he was a strange bastard, he could incarnate.

But what in the world did he want from him, who was in a mere human body?

'He'll die with just a flick of a finger.'

He felt like his insides were going to burst with frustration.

No matter how much he thought about all the possibilities, he couldn't find an answer.

And what was the relationship between the world being turned upside down soon and the help of him, a human?

'The world is being turned upside down... but I'm the key...'

The more he thought, the more complicated his head became, and it felt like steam was about to rise.

'This won't do.'

In the end, Lucas, who had gotten up from the bed, immediately cast a teleportation.

-Flash!

"Khuk! Gak!"

As soon as his feet touched the ground, a handful of blood poured out of Lucas's mouth.

"Damn it!"

He, who had roughly wiped the blood from his mouth, let out a curse.

"What the hell, I just teleported once... gak!"

Blood poured out again.

"Phew..."

He, who let out a long sigh, looked at the lake in front of him as if he had given up.

'It's been a while.'

Lake Mare. This lake, which was said to be the largest on the continent, had no end, and it was said that the person who had first discovered it had thought it was the sea.

He had often visited this Lake Mare in his previous life whenever he had worries or complicated things.

He, who had sat on the large rock in front of the lake as always, quietly stared at the calm water.

"Haaa..."

He, who had repeated taking a long breath in and out several times, turned his head and looked around.

The area around the wide lake was full of only silence, as if nothing lived there.

"It's a little better."

The calm water reflecting the moonlight. The large and lush forest surrounding it.

If you just looked at the scenery, it was a perfectly beautiful sight, but this was a place where there were few people due to the frequent appearance of high-level monsters.

"...?"

His eyes, which had been looking around in thought, stopped at a giant tree.

"...?"

He compared it with the other trees around him several times, wondering if his eyes were strange.

"...A glowing tree?"

That tree, which was emitting a faint light, was definitely something that shouldn't be here.

"Why is that here?"

It was impossible to know how the glowing tree, which was only in the forgotten land of the demons, Diakan, was here.

In the end, Lucas, who could not resist his curiosity, got up from his seat.

"Ugh!"

He, who held his twisted abdomen and got down from the rock, slowly moved his feet.

"It's right."

The light that became brighter as he got closer to the tree. The faint but bright light green color, as if you could see the water flowing up from the roots, clearly showed that it was a glowing tree.

As he got closer to the tree, the branches of the glowing tree rustled, as if welcoming him.

"What the hell is this doing here?"

Regardless, Lucas narrowed his brow and circled the glowing tree once.

"I'm at a loss for words. Don't tell me that bastard brought this here?"

The forgotten land of the demons, Diakan. It had been their home when the demons had lived on the earth, but after they had all been driven out to the demon world, it had become a land that no one visited.

The only ones who occasionally visited were the half-demons, who were said to be their descendants.

That's why Lucas thought that the glowing tree had been brought here as a prank by the Demon God.

That it was a trick to attract his attention again by bringing the glowing tree from the land of the demons here.

"You son of a b-tch!"

-Bang!

Lucas, who was annoyed at that thought, shot magic at the innocent glowing tree.

-Rustle! Rustle!

Then the glowing tree shook its branches violently, as if in pain, and emitted a strong light.

"What, you bastard! Go back to your land, you bastard!"

-Rustle! Rustle!

He was at a loss for words. He had never heard of a glowing tree being able to communicate.

"What the hell is this..."

It was then.

"...!?"

The crack in the middle of the glowing tree began to slowly open, and a strong light poured out.

"Khuk!"

He raised his hand and covered his eyes at the sudden and bright light.

After a while, the light disappeared, and when he lowered his hand, there was an object that was still emitting a faint light.

"...I'm suspicious."

It had the shape of a bracelet, with pink and red gems embedded here and there on a silver base.

But from the suddenly appeared glowing tree to the unknown object that had come out of it.

He couldn't be more suspicious.

"Phew..."

Lucas, who had repeatedly brought his hand to it and then stopped.

"...Damn curiosity."

-Grab!

In the end, his hand, which could not overcome his curiosity, touched the bracelet.

-Jingle~ jingle~

Then a loud and clear sound, as if a bell was ringing, began to come from the bracelet.

"You son of a b-tch."

Goosebumps began to appear all over Lucas's body as soon as he heard that sound.

-Ting-a-ling~ ting! Tong! Ting!

A cheerful and somehow annoying music. What was more annoying was that the hand that had touched the bracelet would not come off.

"Damn it!!!"

No matter how hard he tried to pull his hand away, it was stuck as if it had been glued with a strong adhesive, and he couldn't move.

Then, the strange music stopped.

- O one who has obtained the power of love!

Suddenly, the bracelet began to speak.

"I'm going crazy."

Although he had seen countless talking artifacts before, he had never heard such a frivolous tone.

- I will share the power of love with you~!

"..."

The bracelet, which had finished speaking, began to scatter.

-Clack!

The scattered bracelet instantly settled(?) on Lucas's wrist.

"Haa..."

Lucas really felt like he wanted to die at the fact that it had ended up like this.

[Hi? You've got my bracelet, haven't you?]

A voice came from between the open tree holes when he was staring blankly at the bracelet.

[Hong! Hong! Hong!]

Lucas froze on the spot at the sight of the sturdy man who was struggling to squeeze out of there with a frivolous laugh.

'T-that crazy...'

The man, whose whole body was covered in bulging muscles, winked as he swept his long, silk-like blond hair behind his shoulder.

[Oh my! I'm so~ happy to meet you~!]

'Just... kill me...'

(End of Chapter)