Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Otherworld Demon King Survival Guide.

Episode 11: The Demon Realm (11)

Time passed in the palace.

Every day, while checking in at the library, he received the most fundamental and basic education as a demon from Karuti.

To think that they would invest so much in someone like him, who was nothing more than a worthless grunt. Karuti was undoubtedly an angel.

But the angels he had seen in the Demon Realm were just insane. When you heard about them, you couldn’t help but think of them as extreme, fanatical fascists who had fallen into a superiority complex. Honestly, he hadn’t seen them firsthand, so he didn’t know for sure.

“But Karuti, can we at least call ourselves siblings?”

“On paper, maybe, but in reality, we’re not really siblings.”

“What?”

“Just saying we share the same lineage might be more accurate.”

“On paper?”

On paper?

“Weren’t we born from the same egg laid by our mother, Duchess Keraxis?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

Karuti set down the teacup they were holding and spoke.

“In truth, our genetic compatibility with Mother Duchess Keraxis is extremely low. We can’t really be considered her children.”

“What are you talking about?”

Low genetic compatibility?

Duchess Keraxis laid the eggs herself, and our kin hatched from those eggs. There was no involvement of outside genes in the process.

We were solely the offspring Duchess Keraxis produced… or not. But then again, he didn’t know much about this.

This wasn’t the Earth he used to live on. He shouldn’t bring that knowledge into this. This was a world he was unfamiliar with, the Demon Realm. A world where demons and magic existed.

Naturally, common knowledge here was different.

“Karuti, what I think is that our kin are more like beings created through a magical process in Duchess Keraxis’s womb rather than her real children.”

“A being created through a magical process in the womb? What’s the difference between that and a child?”

“Well… It’s hard to explain. Most importantly, our kin can’t even be classified as the same species as Mother Duchess Keraxis.”

Different species?

“Our kin don’t have the ability to lay eggs. They’re a completely different species.”

“Ah.”

I knew that. Only Duchess Keraxis was able to lay eggs. Other demons gave birth to children normally.

Wow, that’s strange.

But it did seem odd.

“Can we really be considered her real children if we’re a different species?”

“Well… I guess so. But Karuti, even with different genetics, are strong demons like you completely unrelated?”

“Huh?”

“No, Karuti, you’re beautiful. You look a lot like Mother Duchess Keraxis.”

Indeed, Karuti was beautiful.

She was younger than me but possessed a charming beauty.

Could it be that the genetic compatibility increased according to their abilities? Stronger upper-class demons like Karuti might be closer to being children, but the lowly slaves were completely different. Such a hypothesis popped into my head.

“Uh, well…”

Karuti gave me a peculiar look in response to my words.

Why?

“Kyuse… You’re not saying Karuti, a young demon, is beautiful, are you?”

“No! I didn’t mean it in a weird way. I was just stating a fact! Don’t make that face! I’m not some weird demon!”

“Well, Karuti doesn’t know the details either.”

They didn’t know, huh?

“In any case, having abilities like that is unique to Duchess Keraxis, who is the greatest demon. It’s difficult for even Karuti to uncover her secrets.”

Still, for their age, they seemed to know quite a bit.

“So, what are we ultimately? We’re living beings and demons, but are we artificial?”

“Artificial? No, it’s not like that. If you were to make a comparison… It’s like the homunculi created by the Demon Realm’s magicians. Those are the true artificial beings. They may have some similarities with our kin, but they are completely different.”

This was so darn complicated.

“Is that so?”

He just nodded his head vaguely. This was too different from what he knew, making it hard to understand.

He guessed he could think of them as child-like but not actual children. If he inherited Duchess Keraxis’s genetics, there was no way he could be this much of an idiot. After all, he’d have the genetics of the strongest demon in the Demon Realm.

“Well, Karuti is probably right.”

Duchess Keraxis could lay not only the eggs of upper-class demons but also those of slave-class demons. Various types of eggs were produced, and it was all about genetics.

“But then, shouldn’t we call the Duchess something else? Like Grand Matron? Clan Leader? Those kinds of titles.”

“Well… speaking of the Duchess in that way might not end well for you.”

“Ah.”

He had heard similar words before.

Anyway, were they considered children… like that? It was complicated. The demon realm was a strange place.

“In any case, Kyuse, the Demonic Advent will begin soon. We don’t have enough time for studying.”

“Ugh…!”

The Demonic Advent would start soon.

All he could do was study. He should burn all the remaining time until the Demonic Advent with studying. If he didn’t, his body would burn.

In the end.

“I’ve awakened! Basic mana manipulation! I’ve also awakened! Basic dark magic!”

Thanks to Karuti’s enthusiastic guidance, he was able to master the basic series of magic just before the Demonic Advent!

“Congratulations!”

Boom!

As Karuti clapped, small and colorful explosions occurred.

“Now, Kyuse-oppa is about six years old in terms of demon age!”

“Oh wow! Six years old! That’s amazing! But how does that compare to slave-class kin?”

“It’s a bit better!”

He had learned this much, and he was only a bit better than the slaves? Normal demons in the Demon Realm must be really tough. Well, they did say they were a strong species. You couldn’t compare ordinary demons to ordinary humans, after all.

But he was almost like an ordinary human.

He had a bit of mana and knowledge about basic dark magic in his head. Other than that, he was pretty much the same as a human!

But!

In other words, he was better than an ordinary human!

So, he had confidence that he could survive.

He would believe in himself and brainwash his mind into thinking like that!

“Karuti! Thank you! It’s all thanks to you! If it weren’t for you, I would have just wandered around and eventually failed in frustration! I survived because of you! Thank you so much!”

Karuti was the one who had been guiding him until today.

Boom!

He bowed deeply to Karuti.

This was a situation where an adult was bowing to a child. It might seem very unorthodox, but he didn’t care at all. Karuti was his benefactor. He was not the kind of lowlife who couldn’t even bow to a benefactor.

“Kyuse oppa, no need to get too excited. Honestly, I didn’t have much time, and your learning speed is slow, so I could only teach you the basics until now.”

“It’s okay! That much is more than enough!”

He had confidence now!

“Thanks to you, I can survive!”

“Thinking that you can survive with just that is a big mistake.”

“Huh?”

“Kyuse oppa has never been outside of the palace, so you don’t know the reality.”

“Uh, um?”

“You’ll end up dying in the end.”

What?

Why the sudden harsh words…?

Karuti’s tone was similar to usual.

Their voice sounded like they were stating the obvious.

“Oh, no. I understand all about that harsh reality. Still, I’m just trying to hold on to hope. From the beginning, I’m going to die anyway. Absolutely not. I’m an idiot. If I keep thinking like this, it’ll just end. So I have to stay positive.”

That was the only way to break free.

Humans controlled their bodies with their minds. If your spirit was broken, you couldn’t even start. That was why he had to have a strong will.

“Oppa… Karuti recommended that fairy tale to you, right?”

But Karuti responded with a compassionate look as if seeing something pitiable.

“Rash hope brings greater despair.”

“No, Karuti! What if you, who has taught me until today, say that? How can you say such a thing?!”

Why would she bring despair to him!

She should give him hopeful words!

“Karuti helped Kyuse-oppa because I pitied him. It’s his fate to struggle even when death is certain. That’s why I helped. And I can’t say false things to pitiable Kyuse-oppa like that. That’s too much.”

No…!

It was not too much!

What he needed right now was exactly that!

“This reality isn’t as kind as Karuti… It’s incredibly cruel. Kyuse-oppa is more likely to die with hope.”

He felt like he was about to wet himself with those words.

“Karuti…! You, my lifelong benefactor, are saying that!”

sob

His legs gave out.

“My heart is breaking!”

It was breaking!

He pounded the ground and cried…! It was such a cruel thing to say!

“Please, don’t take away my small and precious hope!”

The being he believed was the Bluebird of Happiness was saying such cold words!

“Even empty words are fine… Warm words to me! I will hold onto the warm words I heard last as I die, even if I die! So please, give me words of warm encouragement…!”

Tears!!!

They were bursting out!!!

“Hu, huhuhut… Ah, uh, uuk…! Ha, haa… Hoot, huhuhuhu!”

Laughter suddenly rang out.

“Karuti…?”

“Haa… Kyuse-oppa seems really peculiar. Everything about him, his actions and words.”

sigh.

Saying that Karuti placed a hand on her own chest.

“Alright! Then, Karuti will teach you an extraordinary move! Get up from your seat! Kyuse-oppa!”

Then, he shouted confidently.

With a joyful expression.

“An extraordinary move…?”

“Yeah!”

“Oh.”

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!!!

“Hope!”

And so, time passed.

Finally, the Demonic Advent began.

It was the atmosphere of a festival.

The corridors of the palace and the streets outside the windows were all in full bloom with laughter.

The laughter of the demons that could be heard was filled with anticipation. Of course, they must be. These damn bastards. Except for those designated as sacrificial offerings, the Demonic Advent was a really enjoyable festival for everyone!

“They’re having so much fun! I’m trembling with anxiety, but they’re all having so much fun! You damn demon bastards!”

It seemed like young demons who were born normally, not from eggs, were holding hands with their demon mom and dad, licking Grand Demon Candy, and in the bakery, they were selling Grand Demon Cookies and Grand Demon Bread!

Even the street vendors were selling the famous Grand Demon Juice!

“I want to eat it too!”

Damn, it felt like he was the only one in this world feeling anxious. He felt isolated.

It was really unfair.

He had been preparing like crazy until today, and he had learned various things from Karuti, but he still couldn’t shake off this anxiety. Soon, the palace servants would come to get him. Then, he would prepare for the ritual, perform it, and pop out to the Middle Realm.

sigh

He felt like he was going crazy with anxiety.

Should he just run away?

While he was having such thoughts…

creak

The door opened!

Had they finally come to get him?

Did the kids being chased by Old Man Mangtae feel like this? He stared at the door, clutching his pounding heart!

“Kyuse-oppa! It’s time to prepare for the ritual!”

“Huh? Karuti?”

“Karuti will guide you! Karuti knows everything!”

“Alright!”

Yeah.

I just needed to see Karuti’s face one last time.

“Phew. Let’s go then, Karuti.”

“Follow me!”

He immediately put on a heavy demon coat.

Goodbye to the beloved demon realm… Damn it!