Chapter 2 – Back to Earth #2

A vast dungeon existed deep beneath the Paragon Royal Palace.

Created by the Demon Prince summoned by Archbishop Manuela, the dungeon was several times wider than the palace itself and so deep it was said to have over a dozen floors.

Filled with countless demonic beasts that had crossed through the Gate of Hell and a strange, eerie energy, it was no exaggeration to call it a hell descended upon the mortal world.

But that was all in the past.

The dungeon’s master, the Demon Prince, had been defeated and annihilated by the five heroes of Paragon. The Gate of Hell, hidden in the dungeon’s deepest level, had also been completely destroyed, ceasing to exist.

Of course, that didn’t mean all threats had vanished.

A few demonic beasts still remained in the complex, sprawling depths of the dungeon, and the vengeful spirits used as sacrifices for the Demon Prince’s summoning still roamed its halls, letting out resentful screams and curses.

And that is precisely why an opportunity has arisen.

Within a space saturated with the energy of hell, a great demon with the head and wings of a bat crouched, a sinister smile on its face.

His name was Raizekang.

Though fallen from grace, his essence was that of a Demon Prince, an Archdemon with a title and domain, counted among the most powerful demons of hell.

It had been just over a year and a few months since he had opened his eyes.

This did not mean he was a fledgling demon, less than two years old.

He was a duplicate body, awakened by the death of the original.

The second life that Raizekang of the Red Moon, King of Vampires, had left behind in case of his own demise.

The moment the duplicate Raizekang awoke, he realized his original self had been destroyed.

Thus, the duplicate became the new original, absorbing the final thoughts transmitted by his predecessor to recover a portion of his power and memories.

I must have my revenge.

The malice his original self had unleashed just before death was beyond imagination.

Therefore, as soon as the duplicate became the new original, he poured all his efforts into preparing for one thing only: revenge.

And at last, I found it.

The traces of the Gate of Hell that remained in the basement of the Paragon Royal Palace.

He carefully sent a stream of hell’s energy through a tiny crack.

The dungeon’s demonic beasts, starved for the demonic power of hell, gathered before the energy Raizekang sent, and he used them to prepare to open the gate from both inside and out.

And so, for a little over a year.

After a long and patient wait, Raizekang, now able to open a small Gate of Hell, let a cruel smile slip.

Once I cross over to the mortal world again, I will stain the entire continent with blood.

I will make all those who dared to humiliate me, the King of Vampires, curse the day they were born.

Especially… especially that wretched pair.

Though such thought waves were normally faint, the grudge left by his original self was so intense that he could vividly recall their faces.

Their wicked smiles.

A vile breed, more demonic than demons themselves.

I am coming.

Raizekang of the Red Moon.

The mighty King of Vampires, to exact his bloody revenge.

Raizekang reached a hand toward the Gate of Hell before him.

Chanting an incantation, he sacrificed the lives of the offerings he had prepared. Accompanied by the screams of lesser demons tied to pillars, the Gate of Hell slowly began to open.

Tremble in fear, you humans…

Normally, a being of a Demon Prince’s stature could not easily cross over even if a Gate of Hell was open, but Raizekang had not yet fully recovered his power, making it possible for him to cross in one go.

And so, with a wide grin, Raizekang stared at the slowly opening gap.

The thought of breathing the air of the mortal world and feasting on blood to his heart’s content made the demonic power in his entire body feel like it was boiling.

And just after he finally stepped through the opened gate—

“Oh, it’s Raizekang.”

“Huh, it really is Raizekang.”

Hearing the voices from directly in front of him, Raizekang’s eyes shot open involuntarily.

He hadn’t heard them often, but they were voices he could never forget.

Those things more demonic than demons.

The mortal enemies of his original self, who must be annihilated!

You bastards I’ll rip to shreds!

The moment he saw them, memories flashed through his mind.

The memories of his original self.

Those arrogant beings who had chattered amongst themselves, paying no heed to his curses as if they couldn’t even hear them properly.

They had even been lost in their own flirtations at the very moment they were destroying his original self—him.

That insult.

That humiliation.

That rage!

KRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—!

A roar erupted from Raizekang’s mouth.

No, it was more than a simple roar.

The bellow, imbued with the aura of an Archdemon, spread with enough force to shake not just the dungeon but the entire royal palace.

This is perfect. Just perfect. This must be fate.

This was different from the past, when he had been sealed by the power of that cursed Solari.

Though weakened, he was now free.

So he would show them.

The true power of a Demon Prince.

The true terror of an Archdemon with a title and domain!

A vicious smile spread across Raizekang’s face.

His red eyes, gleaming with fury, began to fill with elation.

You cunning wretches, I will make you beg for death.

Raizekang was genuinely delighted.

That was why, even as he radiated the aura of a god of calamity, he let out a hearty laugh.

But it was in that moment.

As he trembled with the thrill of the impending revenge, Raizekang realized something was strange.

The humans before him.

They were far too calm.

Despite him unleashing a powerful aura that would make even a dragon tremble in fear, not one of the humans before him showed any sign of fear.

‘What? What’s going on?’

The targets of his revenge, that pair, were crazy to begin with, so he could dismiss them. But what about the other two?

Wait, hold on.

The other two?

There was a colossal man who looked like he could fight Raizekang bare-handed, and an incredibly beautiful woman.

He had clearly never seen them before.

But the moment he faced them, Raizekang could feel it.

This was ominous.

No, beyond ominous, it was danger—

“Open the Nine Heavens and Nine Gates, Transcendent God.”

At that moment, Yuder unleashed the power of the Ninth Gate of the Nine Heavens, Transcendent God.

A surging aura of pure blackness flared up like a flame, extinguishing Raizekang’s aura that had blanketed the area.

But it didn’t end there.

“Ninth Heaven and Nine Gates, Eighth Gate.”

A golden aura erupted from Landius’s entire body.

The dungeon itself seemed to tremble from that sun-like power.

Lena, too, released her power.

A brightly shining halo formed above her head, and six wings of light, symbolizing a Seraphim, unfurled behind her back.

An… an angel?!

Raizekang was horrified by the sacred power that had swelled in an instant, but the real shock was yet to come.

Cordelia had released her power.

The power of an Archangel, also known as a Heavenly God.

The power of the Sun God descended upon the earth.

A massive halo, spinning furiously like a crown, floated in the air.

Nine wings of light spread from behind Cordelia’s back.

The advent of an Archangel was a miracle in itself.

The inside of the dungeon, already half-purified by the power of Yuder and Landius, instantly became a heavenly domain, suffocating Raizekang.

‘R-run.’

Raizekang instinctively took a step back.

But at that moment, Cordelia, with a radiant smile, flicked her finger.

SLAM.

The Gate of Hell shut mercilessly.

Startled by the sound, Raizekang quickly turned to try and open it, but it was already too late.

A level of telekinesis that defied common sense had sealed the Gate of Hell shut.

“My, my, where do you think you’re going?”

Hearing Cordelia’s sweet voice from behind him, Raizekang turned back, gasping for breath. Cordelia, clutching the power of the sun in her right hand, smiled brightly again and said,

“You were free to come in, but you’re not free to leave… you know?”

A demon.

A true demon.

There’s no way that thing is an Archangel of the Sun!

But the scream in Raizekang’s mind was nothing more than a desperate denial of reality.

How could this have happened?

What in the world had transpired for that demonic pair to acquire power rivaling an Overlord?

How could the world be so absurd!

“Hey, if you’re not coming, should we go to you?”

Yuder asked with a gentle smile. Cordelia, wearing a truly demonic smile that was as black-hearted as a demon god’s, raised both her hands.

Y-you demonic bastards!

Caught between a rock and a hard place.

If he was going to die either way, he would at least die fighting!

Mustering his courage, Raizekang let out a monstrous shriek and charged toward the Archdemon—no, toward Yuder and Cordelia. And Yuder and Cordelia welcomed him with open arms.

*

“Wow, it’s been a while since I leveled up.”

“I know, right?”

Cordelia marveled at the pure white ring that had appeared over her chest, and Yuder, looking quite surprised himself, nodded as he looked at the ring floating around him.

It was the first time they had seen the level-up effect since their bloody battle against Overlord Asmodeus in hell.

“I guess a Demon Prince is still a Demon Prince, even when weakened.”

“Well, they are right below the Overlords.”

Nodding at Yuder’s explanation, Cordelia beamed as she looked herself over.

Whatever the case, she was very pleased with the fact that she had leveled up.

“Thank you. It seems we dealt with him easily thanks to you two.”

As Landius spoke with a hearty laugh, Yuder and Cordelia chuckled and nodded.

After all, it was Landius who had played the biggest role in annihilating the reappeared Raizekang.

‘It felt like we just tagged along to leech some EXP… right?’

‘Pretty much, since we only got the last hit.’

Recalling the sight of Landius, radiating a golden solar aura as he pummeled Raizekang, Yuder and Cordelia couldn’t help but flinch and shudder.

It had been a one-sided beating, so spectacular yet so terrifying that they almost felt sorry for Raizekang.

‘Even if he was weakened, a Demon Prince is still a Demon Prince.’

‘Well… he was at the level of a Greater Demon. And he had support.’

Not only was Raizekang already weakened, but the battlefield had also been disadvantageous for him.

The dungeon’s interior had been transformed into a virtual heaven by Cordelia and Lena, so for him, it must have been no different from fighting on land filled with poisonous fog.

‘Anyway, Master is amazing as always.’

Should he be called the epitome of innate strength?

Although Yuder himself was at a higher stage of the Nine Heavens and Nine Gates, he honestly wondered if he could actually beat Landius in a real fight.

‘Truly an invincible hero…’

Like the sun itself, an invincible being who seemed destined to win anytime, anywhere, and protect everyone.

‘He really is the sun.’

Cordelia and Landius.

The Goddess of the Sun and the Hero of the Sun.

Perhaps because he had realized his own essence was the ‘Black Moon’ during the final battle with Auriel, the two of them seemed to shine even more brightly.

“My disciple, what is it?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

When Yuder brushed it off with a slightly awkward smile, Landius and Cordelia tilted their heads in unison, and Yuder gave another wry smile.

About an hour later.

Lena, who had been investigating the slowly fading Gate of Hell, let her shoulders slump in relief and said,

“For now, it doesn’t seem to be connected to the Overlords of hell. This gate itself wasn’t properly connected to hell in the first place.”

At Lena’s explanation, Cordelia raised her hand like a student with a question.

“So is it like a separate subspace, like the domain in hell that Asmodeus created?”

“Yes, that’s right. It seems this Gate of Hell was connected to a domain created by that Demon Prince, Raizekang, was it?”

It wasn’t a direct connection to hell, nor was it something the Overlords of hell had meddled in.

“Once we destroy and purify the Gate of Hell… and then collapse or fill in the dungeon, I don’t think we’ll have to worry anymore.”

Honestly, it was a shame to destroy such a massive dungeon, but they couldn’t just leave something like this lying beneath the royal capital.

“Don’t worry too much. Collapsing it won’t be that difficult.”

As Landius said with a hearty laugh, Yuder found himself nodding.

He had a feeling that if Landius went on a bit of a rampage, it would collapse in no time.

‘Yuder, Yuder. Can I help too?’

‘Uh, no.’

‘Hmph, I think it’d be fun to make it go boom-boom.’

‘Yes, that’s why you can’t.’

As much as Yuder wanted to grant Cordelia’s every wish, there had to be a line.

Cordelia already loved explosions, and if he let her blow up a dungeon, her desire for explosions would surely skyrocket.

‘It’s the same principle as developing a refined palate after eating only delicious food, making it hard to enjoy ordinary dishes.’

The thought of Cordelia becoming a person who couldn’t be satisfied with small explosions was terrifying to Yuder.

‘I feel like you’re thinking something very rude, but fine. I’ll hold back.’

‘My princess, you are truly magnificent.’

‘Hmph.’

While Yuder and Cordelia were deep in their telepathic conversation, Landius and Lena, as if not to be outdone, began their own lovey-dovey exchange. Bellastin and Melissa, with their usual lukewarm expressions, started a game of chess.

And the next morning.

“Well then, Master, we’ll be on our way.”

“Alright, have a safe trip. May the muscles always be with you.”

“May the muscles always be with you.”

Lena chuckled at Cordelia, who had responded to Landius in Yuder’s stead, and handed them a large batch of homemade cookies to see them off.

“So, shall we go to Earth now?”

“First, let’s hide our bodies somewhere safe.”

For two divine beings of Pleiades—to be precise, Yuder was a quasi-deity, and only when he opened the Nine Heavens and Nine Gates—to travel directly to another world like Earth could cause various problems, much like an Overlord or Archangel descending upon Pleiades.

Therefore, Yuder and Cordelia decided to use the same method as before: leave their original bodies in Pleiades and create avatars to travel to Earth.

“Is it that safe house you mentioned before? We’re going there, right?”

“Yes, the safe house. Though calling it a safe house is a bit of an understatement.”

Yuder chuckled, piggybacking Cordelia as usual, and began to run like the wind.

Yuder’s safe house.

It wasn’t an existing temple or dungeon, but a new one Yuder had built from scratch, located between the Paragon Kingdom and the Sailun Kingdom.

A nuclear bunker hidden in bedrock more than a hundred meters underground.

Of course, a world like Pleiades had no such things as nuclear missiles, but Yuder had constructed a safe house that looked like it could withstand a real nuke.

Inside, it was fully equipped not only with enough stockpiled food to last for more than ten years but also with various facilities. He had even used magic to create a small ecosystem.

And among all the facilities in the safe house, the one he had poured the most effort into was the vault for storing their original bodies.

“I think I’ve seen something like this in an SF movie.”

Inside the safe house.

Seeing the storage device that looked like a common cryogenic stasis pod from a sci-fi movie, Cordelia’s eyes sparkled. Yuder grinned and continued his explanation.

“Once you get inside, armor plates will automatically cover it. I’ve sealed it tight with magic and barriers, so it won’t be easy to break even if a powerhouse on Master’s level deliberately tried to destroy it.”

“Wow… but what if it malfunctions and doesn’t open? That would be a disaster in its own way, wouldn’t it?”

At Cordelia’s sharp point, Yuder chuckled, swept back his hair, and said,

“It’s fine. I made it easy to break from the inside.”

“Ooh~”

That’s Yuder for you.

Never leaves an opening.

Cordelia hummed happily, and seeing no reason to wait any longer, she opened a portal to Earth and summoned their avatars.

“Alright, let’s store our original bodies and travel as avatars.”

They had done this once before, so the process was smooth.

After safely sealing the storage devices, Yuder and Cordelia took a deep breath in their avatar forms and, as always, walked into the portal holding each other’s hands tightly.

A moment later.

Cordelia, having emerged from the portal, puffed out her chest and took a deep breath.

“Mmm, the air in Seoul is nice.”

On the rooftop of a skyscraper in the heart of Seoul.

At the same spot where they had opened the portal last time, Yuder poked Cordelia in the side and asked,

“Are you being serious?”

The air in Seoul is nice?

“Hey, if I say it’s nice, it’s nice. Why do you have to question everyth—”

She stopped mid-sentence.

The moment their senses, momentarily dulled by the inter-world travel, recovered, Yuder and Cordelia realized they were not alone.

To the side.

Not far at all, just five or six meters away, a figure was squatting, staring at them with a dazed expression.

“Yudel…lia?”

The figure spoke, and Yuder and Cordelia turned their heads.

At the encounter with an unexpected person—no, at the unexpected name—their eyes widened in shock.

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Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)

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