DLC 14

Chapter 14

The Demon King’s Disciple (3)

The Demon King actually stammered at Jinhyuk’s declaration—something so unlike him that it was almost unbelievable.

“What… what did you just say?”

“I’m a time traveler. More precisely, I’m trapped in an endless cycle of regression on the ninety-ninth floor.”

“…Huh.”

Jinhyuk had decided to tell the truth.

Sometimes, the truth was the best option.

Even if he somehow escaped this situation with lies, he would be exposed in the next regression and end up right back here again. Worse, he might spend who knew how long being tortured without even the mercy of death.

Compared to that, honesty seemed far safer.

“The reason I’m still this weak despite reaching the ninety-ninth floor is because of a ridiculous error within the Tower…”

The words poured out of him like a flood.

After countless years of regression without anyone to talk to, Jinhyuk couldn’t stop himself. His story came out in a relentless torrent.

“…And that’s how I ended up meeting the Demon King.”

When he finally finished, the Demon King remained silent for a long moment before speaking.

“So, in summary, a flaw in the Tower sent you from the first floor all the way to the hundredth. You somehow cleared it, but because of unforeseen circumstances, you became trapped here?”

“That’s right.”

Should I just prepare myself to die?

Jinhyuk had told the entire story exactly as it happened. There wasn’t a single exaggeration or lie mixed in.

Yet standing before the Demon King, he felt increasingly uneasy.

Even he thought the story sounded absurd.

No sane person would believe it.

Maybe I should bite my tongue and let the demonic energy consume me…

He seriously considered it.

The alternative might be endless torture until he “confessed” the truth.

“That’s quite an interesting story,” the Demon King said. “If it’s true, then you must be both a nuisance and a curiosity to the Tower.”

“Huh? Ah… yes.”

To Jinhyuk’s surprise, the Demon King seemed genuinely intrigued.

Wait. He believes me?

Even Jinhyuk, the one telling the story, had expected disbelief.

That was why he could only stare blankly.

“Still, verification is necessary.”

“All right.”

Verification?

So it ends with torture after all.

Jinhyuk swallowed nervously.

I’ve endured torture before. I can endure it again.

But after saying that, the Demon King simply fell silent.

For a long while, he stood there, deep in thought.

It was an expression Jinhyuk had never seen on him before.

Then, finally—

“Take my hand.”

The Demon King extended his hand toward him.

“Hyaah!”

Instinctively, Jinhyuk threw himself backward.

It was a reflex honed through thousands of deaths.

Even with shattered limbs, he nearly launched himself across the room to avoid contact.

“Th-That was just a reflex…”

“Hahaha. To move like that with your arms and legs ruined… I can’t decide whether it’s pathetic or impressive.”

The Demon King laughed mockingly and reached out again.

“Relax.”

“Yes…”

How am I supposed to relax?

Grumbling internally, Jinhyuk finally allowed the Demon King to touch him.

The Demon King examined the inside of his body.

“Hm. As expected. This is my demonic energy. And this magic circuit belongs to the Archduke…”

Jinhyuk’s heart sank.

He’s figured out even my magic circuits.

There’s really no turning back now.

The Demon King kept his hand on him and fell silent again.

Another long, uncomfortable silence descended.

What is he doing?

Jinhyuk trembled.

The Demon King’s behavior today was completely different from anything he had experienced before.

Yet he couldn’t bring himself to move.

The one who finally broke the silence was the Demon King.

“There is a secret I’ve never told anyone.”

“A secret?”

The Demon King frowned.

“I can read the memories of anyone I touch. In extraordinary detail.”

“…That’s a secret?”

Jinhyuk blinked.

It sounded like an incredible ability.

Why does he look annoyed talking about it?

“I can only use it with the other person’s consent.”

So he wants to read my memories.

For a brief moment, Jinhyuk wondered if it was a trick.

But honestly, what choice did he have?

“That’s right. Will you allow it?”

Jinhyuk hesitated.

So he really can’t do it without permission?

The Demon King’s voice suddenly turned colder.

“Why are you asking that? You’re not planning to refuse, are you?”

“N-No! Of course not. I agree. Absolutely.”

Jinhyuk hurriedly corrected himself.

There are plenty of ways to obtain consent. Torture, for example.

The thought alone sent chills down his spine.

He still remembered the agony of having his collarbone shattered.

The sensation of his blood freezing and his nerves being squeezed apart.

“Tch. I wasn’t planning to use this ability. But if I’m going to trust your story, I have no choice.”

The Demon King placed a hand atop Jinhyuk’s head.

Immediately, an icy sensation pierced through his skull.

“Ugh… what is—”

“Endure it.”

The Demon King cut him off.

A racial ability he had rarely used since becoming the Demon King.

Dream Reading.

It required intense concentration.

Through it, he began examining the memories hidden deep within Jinhyuk’s unconscious mind.

You really are as weak as a worm.

But…

Within those memories, he witnessed something remarkable.

A weak human who never stopped struggling.

A man who endured endless deaths and endless despair, yet refused to surrender.

Though some memories were fragmented, every word of Jinhyuk’s story proved true.

The moment the verification ended, admiration flashed across the Demon King’s face.

“Hmph. You’ve got spirit. I like that.”

A smile spread across his lips.

“With a little guidance, you could become something extraordinary.”

Jinhyuk was weak.

Painfully weak.

Yet his essence was different.

No—his potential was.

An existence blessed with Infinite Regression.

A man destined to descend the Tower itself.

A countless chain of coincidences had created the perfect environment for growth.

His potential was virtually limitless.

“To think my Dragon Slayer Fang Fist would merge into your regeneration. To think demonic energy could accumulate this way. Fascinating.”

“Are… are you finished?”

Jinhyuk asked cautiously, still feeling as though his brain had been ripped apart.

“Yes. There were no lies.”

“Of course there weren’t.”

Jinhyuk released a long breath of relief.

Thank goodness I told the truth.

If he had lied without knowing about this ability…

The outcome would have been horrifying.

Then another concern surfaced.

“Lord Demon King… isn’t my regression ability a threat to you?”

“A threat?”

The Demon King burst into laughter.

“How arrogant. Answer that yourself. Do you truly think I would see you as a threat?”

It was arrogant.

And completely true.

No matter how many times he regressed, Jinhyuk currently couldn’t even touch a strand of the Demon King’s hair.

“On the contrary, your existence is entertaining. You grow stronger with every regression, don’t you? Being trapped on the ninety-ninth floor is terribly boring. Watching you develop will be more than enough amusement.”

Jinhyuk froze.

“You knew about the ninety-ninth floor?”

“Of course. I’m merely a clone of the true Demon King. However, my talent rivals the original. Escaping the Tower’s brainwashing is simple. Leaving the Tower itself is another matter.”

“Then why don’t you leave?”

The Demon King answered surprisingly easily.

“It’s complicated. The moment I leave, I cease to exist. My true body remains outside, but it has long since become a completely separate entity.”

“…I see.”

A real Demon King existed beyond the Tower.

The revelation sent a chill through Jinhyuk.

Even if humanity conquered the Tower…

What if the real Demon King invaded Earth?

The result would be catastrophic.

And it wasn’t just the Demon King.

There were the gods and god-slayers the fairies had mentioned.

Perhaps the true threat to humanity wasn’t the monsters emerging from the Tower.

Perhaps it was them.

“Then reaching the top isn’t the end. It’s just the beginning…”

“And the Tower’s contract?”

“That is not a question I intend to answer.”

The Demon King cut him off immediately.

The subject clearly irritated him.

Reading the atmosphere, Jinhyuk wisely fell silent.

After a moment, the Demon King sighed and reached into empty space.

“Take this.”

A flower-shaped brooch appeared in his hand.

“What is it?”

“My shame. A possession I cannot throw away.”

The Demon King looked at it with complicated eyes.

“It is unique. If you regress again, show it to me. I’ll at least listen to your story. Put it in your inventory.”

“My inventory?”

“You don’t know what that is?”

The Demon King looked at him as if he were hopeless.

A new status window appeared before Jinhyuk.

[Inventory]

• Stored Items (0/10)

“…Oh.”

Compared to the status window, it wasn’t particularly shocking.

Jinhyuk quickly stored the brooch.

It was a simple rose-shaped ornament.

No special functions.

No hidden mechanisms.

Just an ordinary brooch.

What kind of secret does this thing hold?

Curiosity burned inside him.

But he had no intention of asking.

He valued his life.

The Demon King watched him for a moment before speaking again.

“So if you defeat me, you won’t advance to the hundredth floor. You’ll descend instead?”

“That’s right.”

Among all of Jinhyuk’s memories, that fact had fascinated the Demon King most.

The image of the gods’ plans collapsing.

The administrators’ confusion.

The carefully nurtured heroes being trampled by a descending irregular.

It was a delightful thought.

Even if a powerful being without a contract descended the Tower, the gods would be powerless to stop it.

An existence that completely contradicted the Tower’s design.

A variable capable of throwing everything into chaos.

And if he truly succeeded in descending?

That would be entertaining indeed.

The Demon King slowly nodded.

“Very well. You need to become stronger if you’re going to entertain me.”

His crimson eyes locked onto Jinhyuk.

“Even a fool can become remarkable with the right teacher.”

Then he made his decision.

“Yoo Jinhyuk.”

Jinhyuk stared blankly.

The Demon King grinned.

“Become my disciple.”