The Moment You Need Popcorn (1)

‘What is this now?’

Suddenly, another dimensional gate had supposedly opened inside the gate.

At the randomly triggered mission, I furrowed my brow. Did this mean another gate appeared inside a gate?

‘It’s not like there’s another ocean inside the ocean or something.’

But then I recalled the conversation I’d had with Kwon Yongha, leader of the Hwasan Guild.

In that chat, I had learned some information about his past.

That people from Mewzealand were coming to Earth through certain dimensional gates.

And that those gates could link up with gates existing on Earth.

‘That’s also how Kwon Yongha first met Sang-ah’s mother.’

In other words, people from Mewzealand could appear inside this gate at any time.

So it also meant it wouldn’t be strange if another dimensional gate opened within this gate.

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[A mission has been assigned. (Unique)]

― Another dimensional gate has opened inside the labyrinth known as the Golden Gate. Close all the gates before catastrophe strikes.

Reward: Karma greatly increases (2% recovery), raise any 5 stats you wish

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Just as described in the mission, a familiar presence grew stronger.

It was the scent of Mewzealand I had felt upon entering this gate. That presence was coming from somewhere.

‘Where is it?’

A rift was clearly opening somewhere. But perhaps because it was still small, I couldn’t pinpoint its exact location.

I was just contemplating whether to slip out of the party and search for it myself when—

“Huh? What kind of magic power is this?”

Suddenly the other hunters began to react to something strange mixing in the air.

The distinctive scent of Mewzealand that only I was used to—they were now beginning to sense it too.

“Team leader! Over there…”

Just as they were in the midst of beating down monsters, something began to manifest in front of them.

A buzzing, crackling sound came from midair. Like shards running through glass, cracks started to form in space itself.

“What is that?”

At the sudden abnormal event, the hunters grew tense. Like another gate appearing inside a gate, the rift grew wider and wider.

“Is it the boss?”

“What are you talking about? There’s no boss in the Golden Gate.”

“Then what is that thing?”

An unknown and inexplicable phenomenon. White light was streaming out from within the rift.

It looked as if something holy might pop out, but the hunters couldn’t hide their uneasiness.

Then, slowly, something emerged from the fully opened rift.

“Watch out!”

A dark silhouette, shrouded in light, stepped out of the fissure.

Judging by the shape, it didn’t look like a monster.

But feeling an ominous aura, Yoo Cheon-hwa warned his team members to be alert.

Step. Step. Step.

The sound of multiple footsteps could be heard beyond the rift.

Before long, those that appeared revealed themselves to be—’humans’. There must have been well over ten of them.

“Huh?”

“… Eh?”

The people crossing from the rift and the hunters locked eyes. The hunters wore expressions that seemed to say, “Who the hell are these?”

Whereas the newcomers looked bewildered, as if asking, “Where exactly are we?”

‘Those guys are definitely…!’

My eyes went wide when I saw the symbols on the newcomers’ clothing. A sword rising between angel’s wings.

That was unmistakably the emblem of the Reveli Empire’s knight order. The Reveli Empire was the most prosperous nation in Mewzealand.

Wearing that emblem meant…

“Who are you people?”

“That’s our line! Who are you?”

The newcomers and the hunters each pointed their weapons at each other, standing on guard.

From the hunters’ perspective, these unknown presences were threatening; for the new arrivals, it must have felt like stranding on an alien planet.

“I am Alois Trace, son of the knight commander of the Reveli Empire.”

“Reveli? Where’s that supposed to be?”

“What…?”

The man at the front, introducing himself as Alois, looked puzzled.

He was in his early twenties, strikingly handsome, wearing the sort of uniform knight officers would wear.

He blinked as he asked,

“How… How could you not know the Reveli Empire?”

“There’s no such country on Earth.”

“…”

Alois silently lowered the spear he was holding. With a brief gesture, he quelled the alertness of his followers.

“Are you perhaps the natives of this world?”

“And what if we are?”

“Please, I hope you’re not alarmed. We aren’t here to invade your world.”

“And why should we believe that?”

It wasn’t easy to trust strangers who had suddenly barged in. In order to convince us, Alois continued his explanation.

“We are simply here to help your world. We must protect it from a great demon!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Our empire was destroyed by the sudden appearance of the Demon King.”

So it was about me, after all. It seemed that this Alois guy had crossed over at a point in time just after I had conquered the empire.

“Isn’t it more like you’re refugees than rescuers?”

“I admit, it may sound that way; but we have no intention of causing harm.”

“…”

“And if you are warriors of Earth, there’s something urgent you must hear.”

Alois raised his voice with conviction.

“Namely, that the Demon King is right here on Earth!”

“What?”

“For the sake of the Reveli Empire—and for your world as well—no matter what, we must capture the Demon King. Otherwise…”

This world too will perish at the Demon King’s hands.

“So please, even a little help will do. Lend us your strength!”

Along with Alois, the followers behind him all bowed their heads.

At the sight of these outsiders displaying not even a sliver of hostility, Yoo Cheon-hwa’s expression became awkward.

Was what they said really true?

Was this all a ploy to stab us in the back at the last second?

But no matter how you looked at it, that young man appeared sincere.

His conviction that he was fighting for the world seemed anything but a lie.

“Fine. We’ll do it your way.”

“Really?”

“But in return… you’ll be subject to supervision by our government and the authorities who manage Awakened individuals. Is that acceptable?”

“Of course! Just your cooperation is thanks enough!”

Alois and Yoo Cheon-hwa, leading each group, stepped closer to each other. As the mood took a positive turn, I bit my lip.

‘This could be a big problem.’

If the hunters bought Alois’s story wholesale, things would get messy.

If the government or international organizations mobilized all their might to find the Demon King, my identity would be exposed in no time.

‘Because I am that Demon King.’

I didn’t even need to imagine how everyone would react once I was discovered.

Once that happened, my parents and even Yunhee would all be at risk.

My family had nothing to do with any of this.

Except for having given birth to me, they had no connection to the demonkin of Mewzealand.

Would the newcomers really leave my family alone?

‘Of course they wouldn’t.’

That was an absolute certainty, not a guess.

In the worst-case scenario, they might even put my family on the operating table, asking how they’d birthed the Demon King.

Those people were definitely capable of such things.

Back when I had just formed my Demon King’s Army, a deformed child was born in the Reveli Empire.

People treated that child as an outcast and locked them away, simply for being different.

The parents who birthed the child were also arrested.

Rumors spread claiming the family had touched upon the corrupted power known as ‘dark magic power,’ and so the family was completely ostracized by the Empire.

They even—

—That child possesses dark magic power! It’s a demonkin for sure!

The child was said to carry a dark magic power he had never even come in contact with.

People clamored that he should be executed immediately.

—But wait, I’m curious. How did a demonkin get born among ordinary humans?

—Now that you mention it… It’s a shame to simply kill it.

Out of curiosity, the empire began using the whole family as research subjects.

I once thought they were lucky not to be killed on the spot.

‘But…’

The experiments inflicted on that family were horrific.

They injected various toxins to test for resistance, and fed dangerous chemicals to the child just to see what would happen.

It was clear that their aim was simply to torment, all because their child belonged to another species or possessed dark magic power.

‘It would have been better to die.’

In the end, the parents died from the experiments.

As the years went by, the aftereffects mutated the child’s body.

Its skin turned ghostly white, its eyes lost focus—it looked like an undead.

Having fully become a demonkin, the child was finally scheduled for disposal.

‘But our Demon King’s Army rescued him before that.’

He was the first child we rescued after establishing our army.

The child was taken in by Bern, the vampire who had helped me form the legion.

Even now with the empire destroyed, I wondered if Bern was still taking care of that child…

‘That’s why I’ll never get along with those bastards from Mewzealand.’

Alois and Yoo Cheon-hwa clasped hands. The sight of them shaking hands disgusted me.

If you had a horn on your head or even a hint of dark magic power, those people would immediately strip you of your rights.

After that, it was normal to become their prey—or livestock.

‘That’s their value system.’

Fine, let’s call it a ‘value system.’

After all, they’d spent so many generations brainwashed by their guardian deity’s doctrine.

But after I devoured that guardian deity, a truly bizarre phenomenon occurred.

—We worship a new god!

—Oh, Lord! Please guide us!

—Ahh… Oh, Lord…!

When the demon who killed their god stood before them, that was how most people reacted.

Their scramble for a new idol, after losing faith in their guardian god, still disgusts me.

After all those years spent oppressing demonkin in the name of their deity… they suddenly reversed course and started worshipping the demon lord as their new god?

‘No wonder it makes me want to take a celestial dump.’

So I found the words Alois had just spoken absurd.

When it suited them, they tried to worship me as god, and then suddenly, they labeled me a demon and tried to kill me.

Did they have erasers in their heads or something?

Watching how they rationalized everything for their own comfort was almost funny.

‘And with that kind of nerve, you dare to offer a handshake?’

Such bullshit ought to have limits. I had to stop this negotiation somehow. That meant I’d have to make a move myself.

“Huh…?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Wha—what’s happening!!”

Just as I reached out to block the handshake, Alois suddenly shuddered, recoiling and letting go of Yoo Cheon-hwa’s hand.

What’s up with him?

‘Did he feel a spider or something on her hand?’

I hadn’t even done anything yet.

Yoo Cheon-hwa and the other hunters looked puzzled by Alois’s unexpected reaction, and then Alois, face ashen, spoke up.

“Y-You… I can feel dark magic power coming from you.”

“What…?”

“Dark magic power…! That is a power that must never exist.”

What was he suddenly talking about? Just as Yoo Cheon-hwa was at a loss for words, Alois caught sight of something else and gasped.

“Huh…? No way… How…!”

“What is it?”

“Why are there demonkin at your side?!”

Alois had only just realized it.

Among our hunters were people with nonstandard ears or tails. On Earth, we called them Mutamit…

“You… you’re allied with the demonkin?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb! Then how do you explain that dark magic power?”

Dark magic power.

It was the power opposite to the holy magic wielded by the humans of Mewzealand.

It was believed that anyone who possessed it would inevitably have an unstable mind and eventually transform into a demonkin.

And yet—you could sense that power from Yoo Cheon-hwa, an Earthling?

Honestly, I hadn’t expected that either. But thanks to that…

“Don’t tell me… Has this world already fallen into the demon’s hands?”

… I got a most satisfying spectacle.

“If that’s the case, then we cannot stand idly by! Ready for battle!”

The warriors from Mewzealand raised their weapons at the hunters.

The hunters, taken aback by the sudden change in attitude, fell into confusion.

I decided to watch it all unfold while using my stealth skill. I only regretted that I didn’t have any popcorn in hand.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep