[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
Chapter 11
Helena?
The Demon King?
Seonghyun stared blankly at Helena, unable to believe it.
Initially, he was a bit frightened by her introduction as the Demon King and the surrounding ghosts' fuss.
But he soon realized that Helena, like all the other ghosts, showed immense affection towards him.
He could sense it due to his ability.
But why was the Demon King in front of the statue commemorating the hero, Hindel?
As if reading his mind, Helena answered his unspoken question.
-Haha, this is also where I died.
"Ah."
It made sense now.
If this was where the hero Hindel died, it was plausible that the Demon King could have died here as well.
With that question resolved, another one arose.
'Isn't she human?'
Commonly, the term "Demon King" conjures up images of the ruler of demons or devils.
However, Helena looked nothing like a demon.
She appeared completely human.
'Isn't she a demon? Then why is she called the Demon King?'
As numerous questions surfaced, Helena nodded, as if familiar with his doubts.
-I'm sure there's a lot you don't understand. To put it simply, I am human.
"Huh?"
-However, I had an immense talent for black magic.
"Ah."
Finally, it clicked.
Even as ghosts, their personalities mirrored their past lives.
While all the ghosts showed him kindness and affection, those who were rough and violent in life still carried those traits.
But Helena was different.
She didn't exhibit any of those qualities.
And she didn't resemble a demon at all.
He had wondered why she was called the Demon King, but now it all made sense.
Her extraordinary talent in black magic alone would have been enough to earn her that title.
Even in Earth's medieval times, people were branded as witches for the slightest peculiarity.
With her exceptional talent in black magic, it was no wonder she was called the Demon King.
-Haha, even though I didn't conduct any human experiments or harm anyone, I guess they were afraid of me. Thanks to that, I ended up meeting the hero and fighting a bloody battle.
Despite her cheerful laughter, Helena's expression held a hint of sadness.
She seemed to accept the injustice with composure rather than complaining about it.
Even after all this time, it couldn't have been easy.
Seonghyun knew that feeling all too well.
He, too, had been ostracized and ridiculed for seeing ghosts.
The memories of that time, of the pain it caused him and his family, were still fresh and agonizing.
He understood her feelings completely.
The injustice, the sadness, and the only option left – to accept it all with stoicism and dignity.
There was nothing else he could do.
This was one of the reasons why Seonghyun had become so calm and composed.
-I had so many regrets. I wanted the knowledge and power I possessed to be passed on, but it couldn't be.
"I see."
-But then! Look what I discovered!
"....?"
-I've never seen anyone with such incredible talent!!! Someone with even greater talent than me!!
More talented than Helena, who was called the Demon King?
That couldn't be.
Seonghyun tried to deny it, but Helena was quicker.
-Even I, back then, couldn't see spirits and ghosts so clearly!! And to communicate with them like this, to absorb their memories and experiences... I couldn't have imagined it!!
"Huh?"
How did she know he could gain memories and experiences without him telling her?
Was that something you learned through deep knowledge of black magic?
Seonghyun felt his heart pounding.
Could it be?
He had sought to gain the memories and experiences of the hero Hindel to become a hero himself.
But was it possible to become the opposite, a Demon King?
Judging by Helena's tone, it seemed possible. But could it really be true?
As tension filled Seonghyun's face, Helena declared,
-My memories and experiences! And my power! The successor to inherit it all has finally arrived!!!
"Ah!"
-Here! I'll give you everything!!!
With those words, Helena spread her arms wide.
Both Helena and Seonghyun instinctively understood: how to gain memories and experiences, and how to pass them on.
A soft, bluish-green light emanated from Helena's outstretched arms.
The light gently enveloped Seonghyun, embracing him warmly and slowly seeping into him.
"Ah, this is..."
He felt it all at once.
Helena's memories and emotions.
The loneliness of all those long years spent running, hiding, living quietly, and researching alone.
Seonghyun couldn't help but empathize with the swirling emotions.
He had experienced them himself.
But at the same time, there was a clear distinction.
He had overcome those feelings, but Helena had ultimately given up.
He could sense it in their final battle with the hero.
Initially, she fought with resentment towards the hero and the people who attacked her.
Throughout the fight, she had the upper hand, overwhelming the hero Hindel and his party.
Helena remained composed until the very end, while Hindel and his companions were on the verge of defeat.
But the people continued to cheer for Hindel, and seeing that, Helena realized something.
She was unnecessary in this world.
'Did my senior, who didn't know about the Hunter's Forest, know something about the hidden piece in Hindel Village?'
Oh Jinhyeok tilted his head, puzzled.
'Was there something there?'
'No, not really?'
He tried to recall the item list he had seen before, but nothing came to mind.
There were some minor items, but the user had already obtained most of what was available.
'There shouldn't be anything else for him to get here.'
As he was thinking this...
"Ah, you wouldn't know since you're still an associate. There's something in the data that's only accessible to assistant managers and above. It's about a hidden piece in Hindel Village."
"Huh? T-there's something like that?"
The information available varied depending on one's position.
'That makes sense.'
There was a reason why E-World didn't allow all employees to play Eternal World.
It was to prevent the possibility of using such information for unfair play.
Anyway, when Oh Jinhyeok asked, Assistant Manager Lee Wonsong nodded with a gloomy expression.
"There's one of the best classes in Eternal World..."
"What?! In the beginner village?!"
"It's no surprise you're shocked. Most of them are hidden in high-level areas, but this one is uniquely hidden in the beginner village. That's why it hasn't been discovered until now..."
Trailing off, Lee Wonsong bit his lip as he watched Seonghyun on the screen.
The conditions and clues were so tricky that no one had discovered it in the past year.
'But could that user, Seonghyun, be finding it right now?'
'But why is my senior so calm?'
No, he seemed rather out of it.
Seeing him staring at the screen with a creepy laugh, Oh Jinhyeok wondered if he had genuinely lost his mind from stress.
"S-senior, are you okay?"
"Ah, I'm fine. I'm fine. There's no way he can get it."
"Huh? Why? It looks like he's found something."
Indeed, Seonghyun had discovered some inscription-like markings behind the statues of the hero Hindel and his companions.
As an anxious Oh Jinhyeok asked with a trembling voice, Lee Wonsong replied with a laugh,
"Hufufufu, to obtain the class, you have to pass a test, and it's really difficult."
"Oh! So there's hope?"
"No, it's not a matter of hope. He absolutely can't solve it. Absolutely. Has that user ever frequented the library?"
"What? No. Has he?"
"Then he can't solve it even if he died and came back to life. That's the kind of test it is."
"Then that hidden piece..."
"If that user fails, no one can ever obtain it again. No one."
'That's better.'
Seeing his senior's confident assertion, Oh Jinhyeok also smiled.
'Well, I'm sure senior is right.'
"Ha, that's a relief. What would we have done if he had gotten that too?"
"Hahaha, I know, right?"
"No one can solve that unless they've seen a real demon ghost."
"Hahaha! There are no such things as ghosts!"
"Uh huh huh! Exactly!"
"So we don't have to report this to the team leader?"
"... No, we still have to."
"Ah."
Oh Jinhyeok inwardly cheered for his senior, who was about to get a severe scolding.
3.
Seonghyun strode forward with long steps.
His destination was further north of the cemetery located in the north of this area.
It was at the very edge of the cemetery.
Helena's memories weren't just from her life; he had also received those from after her death.
Although she had given up on being chosen by the people, she still had followers.
Those who dreamed of the resurrection of Helena, the one called the Demon King.
After her death, they placed Helena's body here, where the hero Hindel and his companions were buried.
Not only that, they hid a gem containing her power somewhere, and ironically, the clue to its location was written in code on the statues of Hindel and his companions.
'No wonder no one found it.'
Even Seonghyun, who knew there was a code, had a hard time finding it.
After confirming it once more, he came to the north side of the cemetery.
There, a tombstone with the same code was engraved.
Unlike the others, this tombstone occupied a considerably larger space, as if someone of great stature was buried there.
Seonghyun approached the wide tombstone and pressed firmly on the code inscribed on it.
The ground shook, and the wide space in front of the tombstone began to open.
Rumble rumble rumble
A stone staircase was revealed.
As if he already knew, Seonghyun naturally and slowly descended the stairs.
As he entered, the entrance closed seamlessly, and silence returned as if nothing had happened.
After descending for a while, he arrived at a fairly large stone chamber.
The chamber was bare except for a stone altar, and a beautiful teal gem floating above it.
[You have entered the hidden piece, 『Monarch's Chamber』.]
[The hidden piece, 『Monarch's Chamber』, will test you.]
[If you fail the test, the 『Monarch's Chamber』 will be closed.]
A daunting message.
If Seonghyun failed, no one would ever be able to obtain this.
He exhaled softly and opened his eyes, ready to face the challenge.
Countless letters appeared before his eyes.
[1. What is the correct gender of the one called the Demon King?]
[1. Male 2. Female 3. Demon 4. Neuter 5. Both]
[2. What is the correct name of the Demon King?]
[1. Helena 2. Harbella 3. Har 4. Amoste Mulliwood 5. Queisa]
... (omitted)
These were questions Seonghyun couldn't possibly get wrong.
"Easy."
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]