Chapter 13
Chapter 13: Queen of the Dream Night, Demociela.
Even in the original world, she was the hardest of the Four Heavenly Kings to deal with—and the same held true in this world. I had to completely revise my perception of Demons after my encounter with this wretch.
Conversely, after the fight at our first meeting, Demociela seemed to take great delight in teasing me.
Since that was the last thing I wanted, I'll be honest—leaving Thunder Strike for Demeter did feel a bit like I'd pawned Demociela off on the place.
And yet, this damned thing had the nerve to follow me all the way to Demeter, and now she was standing in front of me making threats.
"Must I really explain why I'm here?"
"You do~. Hmm…. Actually, you don't have to say a thing. My Mastermage. If you'll spend the next three scorching days and nights with me right now, well, I think that alone might satisfy me without needing answers? Oh, but maybe three days isn't quite enough…? How about a month?"
“Let's dive together” she says, casually gesturing toward the bed. My head throbbed.
I wanted to shove a spell straight into this wretch's mouth right then and there, but I had no chance of winning against her.
"Fine. I'll tell you."
"You won't lie, will you? I rather dislike men who lie."
"Of course not. I swear on the name of Mastermage—there is no falsehood in my words."
"Wonderful!"
Succubi are Dream Demons. And Demociela is the Empress of those Dream Demons.
A frail Succubus becoming one of the Four Heavenly Kings?
I know all too well what that means.
Demociela can burrow into not just lust, but every emotion.
For example, if I lie to protect Yuna and Silen, Demociela will analyze the cause of that lie, dig into the reason I spoke it, and from there the mental assault begins.
So what's the wisest course of action?
The first option is to tear her limbs apart before she opens her mouth.
The second is to speak only truth and never let a lie touch my lips, reinforcing the barriers of the mind.
"I left Thunder Strike. Those wretches nearly got me killed fooling around with romance inside the dungeon. On top of that, every woman in the party had fallen for Jerome."
"Ah. I know about that. They were shaking the hamster cage so wildly—shrieking things like 'Not Jerome! Let Jerome go!' But don't worry. I have absolutely zero interest in a man like that."
"Anyway, I had grown weary of adventuring, and as I left the party I thought this: I want to create a dish unlike anything this world has ever seen."
"I see. And then?"
"I figured Demeter Dungeon would be the finest place to source ingredients. I requested support from the Academy, and have been clearing the dungeon while nurturing a new party."
"Mm. Mm…. And then?"
"That's all."
"Huh? Whaaat?"
“What? Why?”
Her crimson-and-violet eyes fixed on me, her transcendent sight reading the truth. At the same time, her expression creased ever so slightly.
"That's… not a lie…? Wait a moment. Really. You truly left Thunder Strike for no reason other than wanting to cook a delicious meal?"
"Didn't I just say so?"
"Unbelievable. Truly. My Mastermage. Are you insane? You're going to disappoint me?"
The mere act of me cooking can disappoint you?
If that's possible, I'm willing to swap my goal from Gimcheon's Special Set Meal to making you miserable at the earliest opportunity.
"Why does my cooking lead to your disappointment?"
"Look here, my Mastermage. You see, I want to drag my husband away from his desk right this instant when I see him so earnestly applied to his studies—but instead I've chosen to sleep alone and wait."
What a maddening analogy.
"And?"
"But then he suddenly throws away his studies and says he wants to cook! What about me, who's been holding back so patiently? How could I not be furious?"
Who's your husband?
"Tch. Regardless, I have staked my life on cooking. I'd prefer to end this conversation here. You stay buried in that abyss of a cesspit."
"My Mastermage? Me, you say? Under normal circumstances, I would have just looked at your face, enjoyed some intimacy, debated whether to kidnap you, and ultimately decided that would rush our relationship too fast—so I thought I'd draw things out, satisfy just the physical longing for about a year or so, and then quietly… leave."
"And?"
"I've changed my mind. Helping a husband return to his calling is also a wife's duty of devotion."
"What… are you planning to do…."
"Why, there's only one thing. Kill everything except you."
Killing intent took shape and radiated outward.
She means it.
The Empress of the Dream Night—no, Demons—never joke when it comes to killing people.
The reason is simple.
No human tells their livestock 'Surprise, just kidding!' before slaughtering them.
To Demons, humans are nothing more than prey.
There is no reason to joke about killing.
So—who exactly was she going to kill? Yuna and Silen?
Blood rushed to my head.
I closed my eyes and drew up my magical energy.
Yujin.
Yujin Mastermage—this world's name for me—holds the class of Mage and the class trait: 'Descended into this world by crossing dimensions.'
My Master.
That great Grand Mage once said this:
'It's as though you've shifted between dimensions. So you possess one utterly absurd magical aptitude by nature.'
'Your genius talent for elemental magic? That's nothing more than a secondary gift—your true essence is this single thing.'
'The fact that you crossed dimensions.'
'My apprentice. Your soul, which has experienced what no one in this world ever has, is specialized in the attribute of space.'
'Even I, who can handle both time and space, cannot fathom how far your talent for spatial magic will reach.'
'So, Yujin. My beloved and cherished apprentice, remember just one thing.'
'Before your overwhelming talent, every space in this world will bow its head.'
I reached out my hand and the space caught within my grasp.
I gave it a gentle pull toward me, and all the space around followed along.
I flicked the space with precision, and what had been one split in half, creating a partition.
I cut that partition again. And again. And again.
One became two, two became four, surpassing sixteen, doubling with each count. When that count reached eight thousand, one hundred and ninety-two—I filled each individual space with an element.
It was flame, and earth, and water, and wind.
Then I scattered all of those spaces into the air. Each space returned to its own position, dyeing this place—which until moments ago had been a boss room—with its own element as it divided apart. Like a grand puzzle made of enormous pieces embroidered across the void, 8,192 elements filled the boss room to bursting.
Using this will kill me. Naturally. It's a boss room—there's nowhere for magical energy to circulate.
But it didn't matter.
If it can shut this wench's mouth, it doesn't matter anymore.
"Wow. Wooow…. Ahahat. Aha…. Hhh…."
As I deployed this spell with the resolve of death, a breathless sigh spilled from Demociela's lips. The Dream Demon simply let her eyes gleam at my magic.
"What. Was that needless worry on my part?"
"……."
"Come on. Say it out loud. Yujin. Yujin Mastermage. My love. The only man my mental assault cannot reach. The Sage who wounded my body without reaching Transcendence."
When I pressed my lips together, Demociela pointed a finger at her own horn and burst into a bright, ringing laugh.
"Remember this scar on my horn? The first time we met on the 50th floor, it was a world like this too—every element dancing. Your magic now is sharper than it was then. Is it to protect the pet hamsters you're raising? How terribly fascinating."
"……."
"And that killing intent. The killing intent that speaks of wanting to kill only me—it's perfect! I thought you'd become a layabout, but you're still the same. Drag me to bed right now and ruin me completely! The only man who wounded a Dream Demon who lives in dreams in reality…. I'd give myself to you."
In Demociela's eyes—ecstasy, happiness, love, joy, rapture all took root.
She wiped the tear trailing down with her index finger, stretched both arms open toward me, and said:
"Alright. Seeing that your original spirit remains unchanged, I'll leave your little pet hamster-raising hobby alone for a while. So won't you dispel that magic?"
"……."
"Your resolve is too endearing, but you already know that using it now won't kill me, don't you? So dispel the magic and let's talk more. Or should I clear it away with my own hands? Not that I can't…."
I kept the magic deployed and glared at Demociela, and for the first time today she smiled bitterly.
"Why the change of heart?"
"Because Yujin's killing intent will someday, without fail, reach me."
She brought her hand to her own face, her neck, her chest, then lower until it rested over her own heart, and she smiled.
"Because the being you most want to kill in your heart right now is me. Because I have a monopoly on your killing intent. Because someday you'll raise those little hamsters in place of Thunder Strike, lead them here, and come to kill me."
"Is that all?"
"Do you need more than that? A woman gets angry because she isn't being loved. A woman who is certain she is loved becomes docile, wouldn't you say?"
Absolute lunatic.
Where on earth would you find another lunatic quite like this.
But precisely because of that, I had no choice but to accept this absurd reasoning.
That's what communication with Demons is.
I dispelled the magic.
"Thank you for trusting me."
"Spare me. I will kill you—without fail."
"Yes. I'll wait for the day your magic reaches my heart. Or if you want to kill me violently in bed right this instant…. Alright. The jokes end here."
"Then get lost. There's nothing more for us to say to each other."
"No. There's one thing left. Taking an interest in and sharing a husband's hobby—isn't that also a wife's devotion?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"This thing called cooking that Yujin is dedicating his life to—I've grown curious about it too. So, will you make me a dish right now?"
"And if I refuse?"
"Hmm~…. I won't kill anyone, but the little ones Yujin is taking on their field trip might suffer a bit of misfortune, or perhaps have some nightmares…?"
"Blackmail, is it?"
"Oh come on. All it takes is cooking me one meal, doesn't it? Or alternatively, you could cook me in be—"
"Tell me quickly what you want to eat."
"Alright. Alright. That cold manner of yours—I adore it so. Hmm…. My Yujin? My Mastermage? You know this, don't you? Since you had your way with me by force, I have never once consumed a human's vital energy? I've been replenishing myself mostly with blood. And not even human blood. Monster blood."
Those words made my eyes go wide before I could stop myself.
A Succubus—not even a Vampire—? Has she lost her mind?
"Why would you do something like that?"
"Because I want the first and last human to fill my body to be you. Hehe. But blood isn't particularly tasty to a Succubus, you see. So I'd like you to cook with this blood. It's fresh monster blood."
So saying, Demociela held out a bottle filled with blood.
I took it and fell into thought for a moment.
There are dishes I could make with the ingredients I currently have.
"Understood. Do you have any other ingredients besides the blood?"
"I have one seasoning commonly used in the Demon Realm—would that do?"
"Hand it over. I'm not sure what I'll use it for, but let's see."
Demociela passed me a small vial, and I confirmed the blood and the seasoning.
Purple blood.
Monster blood laced with poison. I don't know what poison might spread.
The seasoning.
If that lunatic has lost her mind, it might be a seasoning like an enchantment perfume.
But I dipped my fingertip into both the blood and the seasoning and tasted them, then gave a nod.
"Let me give it a try."
Well, somehow, at least one dish should come out of this.
.
.
.
.
Serving this wench a proper meal—it might be better to cook her dog gruel instead—but that would count as lying to a Succubus…. And that's where the weakness begins.
The best mental defense against a Succubus is to be honest, to show emotions exactly as they are, without letting yourself get worked up—so I decided to make one proper dish.
First, I pulled out the bone broth reduced into concentrate.
"It's a bit much to make alone, so help me."
"Oh my. So I just need to undress, right?"
"What on earth? No—why are you trying to undress."
"But when a husband and wife cook together in the morning, the wife ups her exposure a little and just wears an apron, doesn't she? Should I keep the stockings on?"
"Before I kill you—do it properly."
"Alright. Hehe. What should I do?"
"Put up a barrier with your Dark Energy so my magical energy doesn't leak out. I'll handle the rest."
"Ugh~…. Yes. I'll leave everything to Yujin. My body too…."
I was already too tired to listen and turned away.
Anyway, back to the cooking.
I surveyed the ingredients I had.
First, beef with a little fat—this was a drop item from the Floor 1 boss. I trimmed away just the fatty portions. Then I spread that layer of fat evenly between the monster blood, and placed it into the simmering bone broth.
The blood could dissolve as it is—but spatial magic transcends even science. With the blood retaining its shape, having absorbed the fat and congealed, it slowly cooked within the bone broth.
Next, I blanched the dried weeds from Floor 1 once in salted water. They would lend a flavor of their own. Finally, I added beef suited for stew and brought it to a rolling boil.
All that was left was to dissolve the Demon Realm seasoning in, and it was done.
Blood sausage-style congealed blood and beef simmered together—a blood soup.
"Eat. It's not a proper bowl since the seasoning was lacking, but here."
"So this is Yujin's cooking? Hfmm…. The aroma is convincing. Well then, bon appétit."
Demociela took one sip of the blood soup I held out, and covered her mouth with her other hand.
Then she smiled with her eyes, swallowed down her laughter—and ultimately couldn't hold all of it back and let it pour out.
"Oh my…. Oh my. Hehe. Uhehe. Ahahaha…!"
"Why are you laughing?"
"No, hehe…. The dish Yujin made for me is the complete opposite of the killing intent you hold toward me."
"The opposite?"
"Yes. It's so warm…. Soft, easy to swallow…. Mm. I feel warm all the way to my stomach. This is a first for me. You've taken two of my firsts now."
"……."
"For a moment I thought something was wrong with you, you know? My goodness—how could you taste a seasoning a Succubus hands you without a single suspicion? But that wasn't it. Just as your killing intent toward me is genuine—you were simply genuine about the cooking too. Yes. It's perfect. This one bowl of stew has convinced me."
Demociela drained the bowl with elegant composure, rose from her seat, and gave a gracious bow.
"Well then, I'll be heading home now. Chef? It was the finest dinner in the world. Enough that I'd want to give you a spare key to my room."
"I don't need it. Throw it away."
"Hmm~…. Then I suppose it can't be helped. It's not quite a payment for the meal, but I'll give you this."
So saying, Demociela lightly traced a line through the air, drew a box from Subspace, and showed me its contents.
Seven golden elixir pills.
I knew what they were, and pressed my throbbing head.
"Hephaestus Dungeon's Eum-seo-dan?"
"Yes. You know the effect, don't you? They're stamina-restoring pills—very good for men."
"They haven't been contaminated."
"Of course not. I was rummaging through Lepus's belongings when that dust-proof hamster wouldn't stop running her mouth, so I emptied her snack pouch."
Hmm….
So they were Lepus's….
"Though now I have no use for them. Originally I wanted to pass them to Yujin mouth-to-mouth…. But I've come to know that we can share the finest love without a pill like this. You're free to sell them."
"……."
No doubt about it.
There isn't even a trace of Dark Energy—these are genuinely pure, authentic goods.
Selling them would make some money, but….
"Leave them."
"Yes. Then I'll drop by from time to time. You'll let me look forward to an even more delicious meal then, won't I?"
"No. Next time I'll genuinely kill you—so brace yourself before you come."
"Oh my. How thrilling. I love you. My Mastermage. See you again!"
She waved her hand vigorously, and disappeared like a mirage.
After Demociela left.
In the boss room, I reviewed my objectives.
First, make Gimcheon's Special Set Meal. This is something I will never give up, no matter what.
And the second, just added. Defeat Demociela. And this too, is something I cannot give up.
I sharpened my killing intent, and turned the newly added goal over and over in my mind.