[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 409

‘Seriously… isn’t this just too much?’

Having crossed into the Demon Realm, Michael was crouched low in the bushes, cursing Jeong-hoon under his breath.

Deliver this note—into the hands of Psyche, the Goddess of Fate?

How could anyone give such an absurd order?

“As long as you’re not discovered, nothing serious will happen”?

How on earth was he supposed to avoid being discovered while handing something directly to Psyche?

‘Maybe I should just say I failed and go back…?’

Michael turned his head toward the faintly shimmering portal behind him.

With that portal, he could return to the 8th Demon Realm.

But if he went back empty-handed, his master’s wrath would surely be waiting for him.

No matter what, the only way to ensure his survival was to deliver this note to Psyche.

“F-for now, I’d better move.”

Perhaps because his master hadn’t come through himself, the Demon Realm was relatively quiet.

Michael carefully moved forward, keeping low and scanning the surroundings. He concealed himself as best he could—being caught here would mean certain death.

“Hey.”

A voice suddenly called out to him.

Michael flinched, his body freezing like a broken machine before he stiffly turned his head. The source of thɪs content is Nov3lFɪre.ɴet

“W-who…?”

There stood a figure, glaring directly at him.

Not a Named—but a God (제천), one of those beings who ruled multiple Demon Realms.

This one, in particular, governed five Demon Realms.

“You… you’re Heaven’s lapdog.”

With those words, the God vanished from where he stood and appeared instantly in front of Michael.

“Y-you bastard—”

Michael had indeed grown stronger.

But before a God, he was nothing more than a pup before a tiger.

And true to the saying “a pup knows no fear of the tiger,” Michael instinctively prepared to fight.

“Lady Psyche said you would come.”

“M-me?”

“She also said if you resisted, I was free to kill you. So choose—come quietly, or resist.”

The voice dripped with murderous intent.

The suffocating bloodlust made Michael’s spine turn cold.

‘…Maybe it’s actually better if I just go to Psyche.’

The note his master had entrusted to him—

If he was being taken to her anyway, delivery might actually be easier this way.

Having made his decision, Michael raised both hands high in surrender.

“Fine. I’ll come quietly.”

“You’d best not try anything foolish.”

“Got it—ugh!”

Before Michael could finish his words, his face twisted in pain and his body went limp.

The God, Lepal, had struck his neck, knocking him unconscious.

“They told me to bring him without roughing him up if possible, but I just can’t trust that.”

He slung Michael over his shoulder and leapt away from the spot.

* * *

At the same time.

Jeong-hoon entered a nearby Demon King’s castle, sat upon the throne, and rested.

‘Master, are you really sure it’s fine to send only Michael?’

‘If he gets caught, won’t that be a disaster?’

Mukho and Anima were restless, certain that Michael would be captured.

Jeong-hoon agreed with that part.

“Michael will be caught. But through Psyche.”

And yet, there was a reason he wasn’t worried.

It was because Psyche could read fate.

The Psyche he knew would surely have foreseen Michael entering the Demon Realm.

And even if something unexpected happened, Jeong-hoon had implanted some of his spiritual energy into him. If danger was sensed, he could forcibly summon Michael back and avoid the crisis.

“Master!”

Fortunately, that never became necessary.

Michael returned after seven hours.

And completely unharmed, at that.

“So, did you deliver it?”

“Yes! I delivered it safely.”

Michael explained in detail how Psyche had been expecting him, how he handed her the note, and how she, after checking it, had given him a reply she’d prepared in advance.

“So this is her reply.”

Jeong-hoon unfolded the folded note.

[Bring your Darkness Energy to 100%. Evil must be destroyed with evil.]

Darkness Energy?

Before regression, he had raised his Darkness Energy to 78%.

But since he had regressed using the power of the Gods, his Darkness Energy had vanished completely.

Meaning, he would have to gather it again from the start.

That didn’t matter, though.

By sweeping through the 8th Demon Realm, he had already obtained nine Black Souls.

One from each of the six Demon Kings, and three from the Lord.

Nine in total.

[Black Soul]

Type: Consumable

Grade: ???

The root of demons.

Randomly increases stats.

Jeong-hoon swallowed the orb without hesitation.

[Strength increases by 50.]

[Agility increases by 47.]

[Magic increases by 82.]

[Darkness Energy increases by 1%.]

The stat increases weren’t what mattered.

The Darkness Energy obtained through Black Souls.

What mattered was that 1% of that pure Darkness Energy had now accumulated.

You mean we need to gather Darkness Energy?

Tenebris tilted his head.

“Why? Do you know something about Darkness Energy?”

Don’t you already know? It’s reaching the realm of the Abyss.

“In simple terms, that means corruption, right? That the process of becoming a demon progresses.”

You understand well.

“I’ve heard that avatars contracted with transcendents usually undergo incomplete demonization and become demonic humans.”

That’s right. But this Darkness Energy is different.

“Different?”

This was something even Baal had been unable to answer properly.

After all, no one had ever managed to accumulate the energy to a full 100%.

According to Baal, the very idea of reaching 100% was impossible—Jeong-hoon was the first to stack the energy in this way.

It’s the process of becoming a true demon.

“A true demon?”

Yes. We accumulated that energy to acquire new abilities. It was the mechanism that allowed us to oppose the Gods.

“So that’s why it could be obtained from at least Demon King–class and higher?”

When their lifeforce was severed, only a portion of their power remained.

“Yet just from that, I filled 1%?”

Each Black Soul filled 1%.

And before regression, by using the Chalice of the Void, he had raised it all the way to 78% in one leap.

If Jeong-hoon put his mind to it now, reaching 100% would not take long.

If only it ended at 100%.

“What?”

Reaching 100% doesn’t mean you gain complete power. It’s only accepting a fragment of it.

“Hm, so that means I’d have to fill it to 100% countless times over?”

Correct. I myself filled it beyond counting.

“Then I’ll need divine relics.”

Just like the Chalice of the Void, there must be relics capable of granting massive amounts of Darkness Energy.

Using such relics to amass the energy would now be his new task.

Didn’t I explain all this to you before you regressed?

“No. You kept your mouth shut.”

Before regression, Tenebris had never explained Darkness Energy in detail.

He must have judged it wasn’t the right time yet.

Monsters imitating divine relics.

To obtain those, he would have to seek out the Gods.

Otherwise, he would be forced to fill it slowly with Black Souls like this—an endless endeavor.

And I didn’t tell you that it could also be converted into divine energy using relics?

“Oh, that you did mention.”

But back then, Tenebris had cut off the explanation, saying the conditions were extremely strict. He had claimed he didn’t know the details, brushing it aside.

That was why he had prioritized crossing into the Divine Realm instead, pushing the matter off until later.

Could it be that he knew about the conditions too?

Truth is, it’s not divine energy—it’s Darkness Energy.

“…Because if it’s called Darkness Energy, then it would be revealed that these aren’t divine relics but demonic relics?”

…Yes. I think the me from before regression was trying to hide that fact—that they were demonic relics.

“Click… damn bastard.”

Da… damn bastard?

Jeong-hoon let out an exasperated sigh.

“Judging by this, there wasn’t just one or two things you were hiding, was there?”

Hrmm, I apologize. In any case, the me right now has no reason to keep things hidden, so rest assured.

And he meant it.

Having ascended to Demigodhood, gathered all seven Divine Mandates, and attained a presence that even the Named Ones dared not touch—Jeong-hoon now stood at a level where everything could be laid bare.

“Then explain the conditions.”

They’re not even complicated. You just need to absorb the power sealed within the demonic relic.

“I tried. Didn’t work.”

Jeong-hoon had owned three demonic relics before.

Among them, only the Chalice of the Void had contained Darkness Energy—the other two did not.

Ah, to be precise, you have to destroy the demonic relic. When it shatters, the power infused by the Named Ones disperses, and you absorb that, converting it into Darkness Energy.

“Ah, so the reason you could even create demonic relics in the first place was thanks to this energy?”

Correct.

“…Then how am I supposed to draw the Gods out?”

For now, how about roaming the Infernal Realms like you did with the Eighth Realm, and filling your Darkness Energy up to 100%?

“Better not be that.”

Jeong-hoon glared at Tenebris as he spoke.

…Hah, seems the me before regression had abysmal credibility.

And after hiding things so tightly, he had the nerve to talk about trust? The irony was almost laughable.

Jeong-hoon gave no answer, turning instead toward the next Infernal Realm.

At that moment.

Lepel returned from his mission.

“My Lady, I’ve sent the outsider back to the Eighth Realm.”

“Well done.”

Seated upon her throne, Psyche idly toyed with the orb beside her.

“Um… may I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

Psyche was in a particularly good mood.

After all, her plans were unfolding smoothly.

“Are you truly certain it’s wise to stake everything on that human?”

Though born of the Infernal Realm, Lepel stood at Psyche’s side.

Not only was he her loyal servant, he was a demon molded by Psyche’s own hand, created for the very purpose of being used this way.

“We’ll see.”

She had revealed everything to him.

By now, even Tenebris’s seal should have been undone.

If he could rapidly accumulate Darkness Energy through that, then even facing the Named Ones would not be impossible.

Of course, she intended to pave the way in her own manner so that the process could proceed smoothly.

“Here are the relics.”

What Lepel produced were seven relics of the Gods.

They included not only what he possessed himself but also those belonging to the Gods under her command.

They had long been prepared for this very day—relics infused with a vast amount of darkness.

“Good. Take these to the Infernal Realms and place one in the hands of each Sovereign.”

“I will tell them to do everything in their power to strike down the human.”

As befitted a servant of Psyche, his ability to read her intent was sharp.

Confirming her satisfied smile, Lepel bowed respectfully and departed for the Infernal Realms.

It was not long before an uninvited guest appeared.

“Psyche, what are you brooding over all by yourself here?”

“Harmageddon…”

Psyche did not bother to hide the displeasure on her face.

“My, my. Aren’t you being far too harsh with me?”

“When every time we gather you do nothing but nitpick and needle, how could I not despise you?”

“Heh. And yet, back there you always kept your expression under control.”

“What brings you here?”

“As you know, the human has taken the Eighth Infernal Realm. That makes two lower dimensions already lost.”

“And?”

“I thought you would have foreseen this… was I wrong?”

Harmageddon fixed his gaze intently on Psyche’s face.

That unsettling look only made Psyche let out a mocking laugh.

“Pfft. Watching you fish for answers is almost amusing.”

“What?”

“I’m telling you to quit scheming and get lost.”

“…”

“Just go back quietly and wait for Beelzebub. Don’t go strutting around like some paranoid wreck when you were the one who volunteered to play spy in the first place.”

“I’ll be watching… to see how long that confidence of yours lasts.”

Leaving behind his cryptic words, Harmageddon vanished from sight.

Left alone, Psyche muttered with a hardened expression.

“Suspicion has turned into certainty. I’ll have to move quickly.”

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]