Chapter 336 – The Hell Kings (4)

“...” Gi-Gyu’s frown deepened as the sorcerous energy got closer. As if reacting to it, the sorcerous energy inside Gi-Gyu began boiling, which indicated that at least one of the approaching figures was powerful.

“He must be as powerful as the hell kings,” Gi-Gyu muttered.

“I agree, Master,” replied El softly.

The other figures surrounding this powerful being were comparatively weaker, but something felt odd.

“I don’t feel any hostility from them,” El announced. The group was indeed not emanating any negative energy; it almost seemed like they were coming to surrender. As the group approached cautiously, it began revealing its energy gradually.

Even so, Gi-Gyu wasn’t happy about it.

‘

I was hoping to see El smile today. It has been so long since I saw her happy,’?

Gi-Gyu was upset because the group’s arrival had ruined his plan. Just what did they want from him?

“I don’t think I’ll like them,” said Gi-Gyu.

“...?” El looked at him in confusion. The approaching group clearly bore no ill will toward them. So, why was her master upset with a group that seemingly wanted to surrender?

‘

He looks… disappointed?’?

El thought. She was wondering about her master’s mood when she heard Gi-Gyu’s voice.

“Let’s move,” Gi-Gyu ordered. “If this group goes wild, Rome will be destroyed again. Alberto has spent much effort to restore it, so let’s not ruin it. We should go somewhere else.”

“Yes, Master.”

As soon as Gi-Gyu heard El’s answer, he began moving.

“...” El looked at Gi-Gyu’s back with a smile before following him.

***

In the dark Colosseum, a blue gate, the door to Eden, danced brightly. The Colosseum had become Eden’s landmark, so entry was strictly forbidden for non-players. Someday when the situation stabilized, this tourist attraction would reopen, but only a handful of people with Gi-Gyu’s permission could currently enter the place. Even the Italian Players Association was no longer located here as it was relocating its headquarters.

Gi-Gyu’s creatures and players loyal to him hid in the Colosseum’s darkness and the gate. Gi-Gyu and El stood in front of them.

“They’ll be here soon.” Gi-Gyu raised his hand. When he heard his creatures speak to him in his head, Gi-Gyu replied, “I’ll be fine. You can all return now.”

They had asked him to let them help him, but he had ordered them to leave. None of them protested and obeyed quickly.

“They are so obedient,” Gi-Gyu whispered in satisfaction. Gi-Gyu’s creatures and the players hiding in the shadows to protect the Colosseum quickly disappeared. Since Gi-Gyu was here, there was no point in them staying.

After they were gone, Gi-Gyu’s sorcerous energy began boiling again.

“Are they greeting me?” Gi-Gyu wondered, sensing the unknown, approaching group. As the group entered the Colosseum slowly with no hostility, Gi-Gyu sat down on a chair and waited with El.

A moment later, El announced, “They are here.”

A group of hundred had entered the Colosseum. All of them were powerful, with an unusual amount of sorcerous energy. They momentarily hesitated when they saw Gi-Gyu and El but then walked toward them.

As they got closer, the moonlight shone on them to reveal that they were demons from hell. Just like their energies, their appearances pointed at their true identity. While most were in their human-like form, some looked openly demonic. Gi-Gyu was now very experienced in using his Evil Eye, so he could see them for what they were.

The one leading the group greeted, “How do you do?”

This man was slim and despite having vague features, he left quite an impression on Gi-Gyu. He didn’t like the man’s long dirty hair, but he had to admit that this demon was powerful.

‘He’s huge.’?

Gi-Gyu could see this man’s original form. The demon’s energy could fill the entire Colosseum—another proof that he was powerful—and he had a noticeably long tail.

‘

I believe that he’s stronger than Belphegor, Leviathan, and Asmodeus,’?

Gi-Gyu thought. There was a clear pecking order among the hell kings, so the ones above were obviously stronger than those below.

‘And this one isn’t a clone either.’?

Usually, the hell king clones were either paralyzed or couldn’t think clearly. Also, since their sorcerous energy was a mix of various energies, it was quite weak.

But the demon in front of them didn’t have the characteristics of a cloned king.

“Are you a king?” asked Gi-Gyu. His human form suggested he was the weakest among them all, but he was, in fact, the strongest in the group.

The demon bowed with an elegant hand gesture and greeted, “Hello.”

The demons behind him followed suit and bowed deeply. Their leader, still bowing, looked up to introduce himself, “I’m called Mammon.”

This demon knelt before Gi-Gyu and begged, “Please take us in, Our True King.”

***

“...” Gi-Gyu watched the demon with unusual power. Then, he turned to Lou and muttered, “Why do you insist on being in that form…?”

Lou was still in his child form, looking down at the demon group with his arms crossed. It was a funny sight at a glance, but the energy Lou emanated was no joke.

“Ugh…” the newly arrived demons groaned as Lou’s power weighed them down. It was hard to believe that such energy could come from a boy.

But one of them seemed unaffected. He murmured, “Your appearance has changed much, Lord Lucifer.”

“So you won’t even call me ‘King’ anymore?” Lou pouted in annoyance.

“...” Mammon, the only one able to withstand Lou’s energy, frowned in confusion.

Lou looked at him and said, “Well, I guess the one you came here to entrust your body to isn’t me. So I suppose you don’t want to create an unnecessary misunderstanding.”

“...” It seemed that Lou’s guess was correct because Mammon looked down without a word.

“Ugh…” Ultimately, even Mammon failed to endure Lou’s oppressive energy and kneeled on the ground like the others in the group.

“Hmph.” Lou’s sorcerous energy became even more powerful.

“Ugh…” The demons began groaning in pain, but Lou soon retracted his energy. The demons, including Mammon, finally stood up.

“Well, I’m leaving now. I’m sure the rest”—Lou turned to look at Gi-Gyu—“will be taken care of by him.”

Gi-Gyu continued to look at the demons while Lou turned and walked away. Scratching his head, Gi-Gyu walked toward the demons. These creatures weren’t like those low-level demons who had taken the Caravan Guild’s side and stolen the players’ bodies. These were all high-level, seatholder demons with their own armies. The group only had 100 demons, but Gi-Gyu was sure that numerous more stood behind them.

‘

Their subspaces are holding countless demons.’?

Gi-Gyu could sense that there were more demons here than he could see. Gi-Gyu had called for Lou because of this group’s leader.

“So you said your name is Mammon?” asked Gi-Gyu condescendingly. He didn’t bother showing any respect. He was the strongest one here, so there was no point.

“Yes… My King,” Mammon said.

“Why are you here?” asked Gi-Gyu. Mammon hadn’t explained anything yet. Gi-Gyu had been enjoying the view of Rome with El when this group had suddenly arrived. The only thing Mammon had told him so far was that he and his demons wanted to entrust their bodies to Gi-Gyu.

So Gi-Gyu had brought all of them to Eden.

Gi-Gyu watched them sharply for a while, during which the demons felt like they were being dissected.

“If you came here to ask for a favor, shouldn’t you show yourself first?” The space began to vibrate the second Gi-Gyu finished his sentence.

“Ugh…” Suddenly, countless more demons appeared in Eden. Every one of them was kneeling on the ground. Because they were in a vast field, it didn’t feel overcrowded.

‘

Ten thousand of them…’?

Gi-Gyu quickly counted the demons, and he was shocked by the number. There were more than he had anticipated. Was it because the group of hundred demons was so powerful that they could hide this many weaker ones?

Gi-Gyu had forced the hidden demons to show themselves, whose number had surprised him. Mammon had no idea Gi-Gyu could tear the subspace apart and force the rest of the demons out. He couldn’t hide his shock and fear as he begged, “My apologies… I didn’t mean to upset you on purpose.”

Mammon continued, “I just thought that bringing too many demons here might confuse you.”

Mammon wasn’t lying.

‘

He’s afraid.’?

Gi-Gyu assumed it was partly because of him, but he suspected there was another reason.

Gi-Gyu asked, “Why are you trembling? Does it have something to do with why you are here to entrust your body to me?”

“C-could you… please pull back your power first?” Mammon begged, and Gi-Gyu obliged. All the demons were panting, probably exhausted from enduring Lou and Gi-Gyu’s show of power.

“Go ahead. Explain yourself.” Gi-Gyu’s tone wasn’t harsh, but he wasn’t kind either. He was, in fact, interested in what was happening here.

‘

When we searched for them, we couldn’t find a trace of them anywhere. But now, he actually came to me voluntarily.’?

There used to be seven hell kings, and Gi-Gyu knew what had happened to most of them. Satan was inside Ha Song-Su’s body along with Kronos. Belphegor and Leviathan were dead. Asmodeus was in pieces, one of which belonged to Shin Yoo-Bin now.

.

And, of course, Lou was with Gi-Gyu.

The final two they didn’t know about were the king of gluttony, Beelzebub, and the king of greed, Mammon. And it appeared that the king of greed had brought his demons to surrender to Gi-Gyu.

Something must have had happened. Just then, Gi-Gyu remembered what Gabriel had told him.

“Andras and Kronos have different goals.”

Gi-Gyu had been planning on using this information in the future, but then Mammon had shown up on his doorstep abruptly.

“If there is something you want, just say it,” Gi-Gyu ordered.

Mammon flinched. He had lived a long time, and nobody had spoken to him like this. On the contrary, he had always been the one with authority. He had stood before demons begging for mercy countless times. In situations like that, he would tell them that he would let them live if they proved their worth.

As the king of greed, this had been how Mammon found demons worthy of joining him. He used to be the one demanding stuff from others.

But now, the table had turned. The man standing in front of him, Kim Gi-Gyu, was looking at him with an unreadable expression in his eyes. Mammon was now in a situation where he needed to prove himself.

Gi-Gyu demanded again, “I asked you to explain yourself.”

Gi-Gyu sounded more evil than any demon to Mammon.