Chapter 48: Special Perks of the Abyss

The Demon God looked back at the worried Yeon-hee.

“Unnie….”

She seemed a bit relieved after meeting him, but her face was still clouded with anxiety.

Ultimately, her mind would only be at peace once she was reunited with Yoo Jin-ah.

“Yeon-hee, from this moment, I shall go to retrieve Yoo Jin-ah. Therefore, thou shouldst wait here.”

“Pardon? I—I want to go with you too!”

“No, doing so would only prolong the search. Dost thou not wish to find her quickly?”

The place he was about to head into was the domain of an evil spirit, and it was not a place a human would benefit from experiencing.

He couldn’t help Yoo Jin-ah, who was already inside, but there was no need to take Yeon-hee along.

A precious fan had to be treated with care.

The Demon God was one who cherished both his subordinates and his believers.

“Then it can’t be helped, but…. What if you disappear too, Sun-woo-nim?”

“I? Pwahahat!”

Bursting into laughter, the Demon God spun around and marched straight toward the shimmering space.

“Yeon-hee.”

“Yes?”

“I do not disappoint my believers.”

With those final words, the Demon God rounded the corner of the gift shop and vanished.

In truth, it only appeared that way to Yeon-hee; he had actually stepped into the distorted space just before turning the corner.

Yeon-hee stood still for a long time, staring at the path where the Demon God had disappeared.

‘I just have to wait, right?’

‘Then Demon God Sun-woo will bring Jin-ah unnie back?’

‘Because he said he doesn’t disappoint his believers—’

“Believers?”

Muttering the word aloud, Yeon-hee nodded after a moment.

“A believer.”

Right now, she felt like she could truly become one.

***

Inside that very domain of the evil spirit.

Yoo Jin-ah had been walking through an incomprehensible darkness for a while now.

At first, she thought she couldn’t see ahead because of the thick fog, but then it should have at least looked hazy.

Instead, it was pitch-black darkness before her eyes.

Thinking she might have accidentally walked into a different building, she even tried walking with her hands reached out.

But no matter how far she walked, her hands touched nothing.

While she was growing increasingly terrified, she had sent a message to Yeon-hee saying she didn’t know where she was.

That was the last thing she could do before her phone went dead.

Even the flashlight wouldn’t turn on.

“Where am I… what on earth is this place….”

A dark space with no visible beginning or end.

Walking alone in such a place, terror began to crawl up her spine.

As time passed, the fear only intensified.

She wished this was all just a special event at the horror theme park—

“Oh?”

In the distance, a faint but distinct light appeared.

To call it a ‘light’ was a bit odd—it was dim, flickering, and above all, it felt like it was ‘emanating’ without a clear source.

Still, at this moment, it was a welcome sight.

“Excuse me! Can you see me?”

As if responding to her words, the light moved closer to Yoo Jin-ah.

“?”

Within the light, a small-statured person appeared.

An old man?

His back was slightly bent, and his beard was as long as an ancient sage’s.

And his face was more than pale; it was a bruised blue.

Like a corpse.

It was enough to make her wonder if the old man was human or not.

In that moment, a certain saying flashed through Yoo Jin-ah’s mind, making her shut her mouth.

‘When you see a human, you don’t wonder if they are human or not.’

‘If you find yourself wondering if they are human or not, it’s because they aren’t.’

Those were the words.

Goosebumps slowly broke out over Yoo Jin-ah’s arms.

– Thou art… there… I see.

An unpleasant voice, like metal scraping together, reached her—a voice that was definitely not human.

– I have been searching… for a long time.

Even though the old man spoke in Japanese, she could understand the meaning.

Yoo Jin-ah couldn’t answer, and yet she couldn’t run away either, frozen in place.

The old man, who seemed to approach slowly, was suddenly right in front of her.

– I said… I was looking for thou!!!!

He let out a sudden, thunderous roar.

“Aaaaagh!”

The old man leaned in close, thrusting his distorted face forward.

In that moment, Yoo Jin-ah realized the old man’s physical proportions were wrong.

He was a frail-looking old man, yet his head and hands were much larger than a normal person’s.

Even in the face he thrust forward, his smoldering eyes took up almost half the space, his nose protruded grotesquely, and his mouth was torn almost to the bottom of his ears.

This was, without a doubt, a ghost.

Yoo Jin-ah witnessed a ghost with her own eyes for the first time in her life.

Her mind went blank from the surging terror.

Having lost her wits, Yoo Jin-ah’s lips moved involuntarily.

“Ah, ah…”

The shock of seeing a malevolent spirit for the first time was—

“He’s so ugly….”

That was it.

– ??

Ugly.

He was intensely ugly.

So intensely ugly.

Well, he was a malevolent spirit, after all.

Yoo Jin-ah had been binge-watching Pantheon videos on her way to MAMA.

The faces of the five members, including Sun-woo, were the ones she had seen most recently.

To Yoo Jin-ah, the ghost’s face was pure visual pollution.

– What did thou… just say to me?

“Oh, I’m sorry. You’re just so ugly that I slipped up.”

– Gwaaargh!

Yoo Jin-ah’s apology only sparked greater fury.

The ghost’s face distorted even further.

Seeing that, Yoo Jin-ah grimaced more.

The ghost grew even angrier.

In short, it was a vicious cycle.

– Today’s visitors… are not in good condition.

Apparently, the other visitors had reacted similarly.

It seemed he had heard it more than once or twice.

That was because they were all fans who had come to MAMA while dreaming of their idols.

And then.

– I can… no longer endure this. I shall take… a bit more from thou… than the entrance fee I took from the others.

Yoo Jin-ah was out of luck. She had met the ghost at the exact moment his patience collapsed.

The light changed.

The dim light emanating from the ghost’s body turned into a horrific red.

As the ghost reached forward, a purple energy crawled out like a snake.

“Aaaaagh! They said entry was free here!”

The MAMA tickets plus the travel expenses.

She had barely managed the trip as it was; she wouldn’t have entered if this place required a fee.

However, at the word ‘free,’ the ghost fell into a rage.

– Free—!!!! Nonsense—!!!! If thou hast come to my amusement park, thou must pay the entrance fee—!!!!

He was even speaking clearly now, unlike his fragmented speech from before.

The ghost seemed most enraged by the word ‘free.’

– There is no such thing as free in my amusement park!!!! I only took ‘fear’ from the others, but it seems I must take ‘pain’ from thou as well!!!!

He was a malevolent spirit that fed on human negative emotions.

He had been swallowing the fear of the visitors isolated in this darkness, but he intended to inflict direct pain upon Yoo Jin-ah.

The purple energy began to sharpen like an awl.

– Pay me thy fear and thy pain!

“Aaaaaaaak!”

A helpless human facing a malevolent spirit within its own domain.

Just as Yoo Jin-ah was about to be sacrificed.

At that very moment.

“Who dares discuss fear before this Demon God?”

A voice rang out.

– Hmm?

The ghost jerked its massive head up.

Since the visitors were each isolated, it was impossible for them to meet.

Therefore, there should have been no other voice heard besides the ghost’s own.

“So it is thou. The one who caused this incident.”

The voice was clearly audible.

A voice that resonated ominously, fearfully, yet enchantingly.

– Who art thou? Who is inside here?

And Yoo Jin-ah, who had been in peril just a moment ago, was a fan of Pantheon.

It was a voice she could never forget.

Because it was the voice that had gripped her head and granted her a deep sleep.

“Sun-woo?”

“Indeed, O Resurrected Zombie.”

“…Ugh.”

It was certain.

It was Sun-woo.

“Thou hast done well to create such a place.”

With every step the Demon God took, the distorted space was ripped to shreds.

When a long wound appeared in the unpleasant darkness cast by the ghost, the Demon God’s darkness squeezed through and destroyed it entirely.

It was a sight of darkness subduing darkness.

And to Yoo Jin-ah, the Demon God’s darkness was not unpleasant, unlike the ghost’s. It was only natural. To her, the darkness Sun-woo provided was no different from a comfortable sleep.

– Ki-kieeeeee! No! My amusement park!

The ghost shrieked.

Hearing that, the Demon God unfurled the pamphlet he was holding.

It was the very pamphlet explaining that the theme park was built over an actual psychic spot.

“There was once an amusement park here, but the owner was a miser who charged high entrance fees and refused to invest in the facilities.

Eventually, after several safety accidents, it closed down amidst gruesome rumors of malevolent spirits.”

The Demon God finished reading and tapped the pamphlet against his palm.

“So the malevolent spirit here wasn’t the accident victims? It was thou, the miserly owner.”

The ghost’s essence was revealed.

The miserly owner of the amusement park.

The one who, obsessed with money, had turned an amusement park—a place meant for dreams and happiness—into a scene of horrific accidents.

– Gieeeee— Gieeeet!

Even now, because of that essence, he did not flee even when facing a being of superior status.

It was because fleeing would mean losing his domain.

“Ho?”

The Demon God raised an eyebrow.

It was one thing that he didn’t run, but the fellow went further—

– E-Entrance fee…. Thou too… must pay me an entrance fee, must thou not…?

He was babbling such nonsense.

“Art thou serious?”

It was so absurd that he didn’t even feel like being contemptuous.

Pressed by the question, the ghost finally seemed to harden his resolve and shouted.

– Indeed! And thou… shalt pay me an entrance fee as well!

“Ha? Thou art truly a foolish fellow. What dost thou think thou can do to me?”

But the ghost let out a vile laugh.

– O Being of High Status! Do not look down on me. I can tell… that thy power has been weakened!

In that moment, the Demon God narrowed his eyes.

“Thy eyes are quite good at least.”

– Kihihi! I knew it. In that case, art thou not a lump of spiritual power that has rolled into my domain of its own accord?

The ghost’s massive eyeballs rolled with greed.

An evil spirit capable of drawing nearly a hundred people into its domain.

He was not going to be easy.

“Even so, thy confidence is quite something. Dost thou possess a single Authority to wield in this domain?”

– Indeed!

Red energy surged from the ghost’s entire body.

– I have the right… to [Entrance Fee Collection] from those who enter here!

[Entrance Fee Collection]

The ghost’s Authority was activated.

He takes an ‘entrance fee’ from those who enter his domain, and he decides the amount as he pleases.

– Ki-kihihihit! I shall take it all… from everyone!

The ghost reached out with his large hands.

The purple energy emanating from his hands grew stronger, extending like a whip to coil around the Demon God.

“Hmm, thou art correct. It might be burdensome for me in my weakened state.”

Authorities [Aura], [Spiritual Feast], [Vassal], and [Deep Sleep Inducement].

He couldn’t solve this with just those four.

“Hmph.”

However, there was a ‘status abnormality’ that could be called an Authority in its own right.

“Malevolent spirit. It was likely too much for someone blinded by greed like thee, but thou shouldst have reflected more on why I am weakened.”

The Demon God looked back leisurely.

The source of the weakening.

Chains invisible even to the ghost.

In other words, the Demon God was currently a [Prisoner] of the gods.

Attempting to extract power from the prisoner—not just the prisoner himself doing so—was a form of [Jailbreak].

Now then, what kind of effect would the gods’ seal within the chains produce?

– Ki-kii— ee—?

The ghost, who had lunged with high spirits, groaned as he felt something strange.

– Eh?

In the next moment, holy light emanating from the chains exploded against the one trying to extract power from the gods’ prisoner.

– KIAAAAAAA!!!!

The Demon God curled one side of his mouth as he watched the ghost’s plight.

“Thou daredst to say thou wouldst inflict pain upon my fan? Now that pain is thine to bear.”

Holy power enveloped the ghost’s body.

From the ghost’s perspective, it was an immense agony no different from being burned at the stake.

And simultaneously.

The space began to collapse.

The figures of the people who had been isolated in the darkness cast by the ghost began to appear one by one.

“Oh? I can see!”

“How did you all get here?”

“Look! Over there! I see that old man from before!”

Since the ghost had busily hunted the missing persons to collect entrance fees, they all recognized him.

They saw the scene of the being that had planted terror in them dying—

“Who is that person?”

“Oh? It’s an idol!”

“An idol? Who?”

“PANTHEON!!!!”

They could also see Pantheon member Sun-woo standing leisurely beside the ghost.

“Hmph.”

The Demon God looked around at the people.

He quite liked those gazes of awe.

But anyway, once the ghost’s space collapsed, the memories of this place would be erased.

If anything remained, it would be a single sentence someone threw deep into their subconscious?

“Come see Pantheon’s performance and worship me.”

The Demon God knew the way.

The single sentence he uttered softly like a spell flowed into the people’s ears.

In a bizarre situation, even more bizarre words sank deep into their hearts.

All of them would come to see Pantheon.

Smiling broadly, the Demon God looked at the ghost, which was now almost completely burned away with very little left.

‘What should I do? Should I just eat him now?’

He thought about using the Authority [Feast].

No.

A better idea occurred to him.

“Listen here.”

– Ki-kieck— keck— Yes! Yes!!

“Dost thou wish to become my vassal? Then thou shalt avoid annihilation.”

– Vassal? Ugh, graaaargh! Yes! I will, please!

The ghost pleaded in intense pain.

The Demon God smiled slightly and activated the Authority [Vassal].

Of course, at this moment, the ghost wasn’t truly submitting but intended to plot betrayal once he avoided annihilation.

However.

Crack! Snap!

Even what little remained of his form began to distort.

“I hope thou dost not misunderstand just because I said vassal. I have no intention of using thee as a subordinate.”

– Wh-What— Uh, uh-bububu— Uh?

Language ability deleted.

Will deleted.

He was turned into an ‘object,’ not a subordinate.

The power of [Vassal] was that strong.

This was the kind of being a Demon God was.

Now then, as for what kind of object he made him into.

“Thou wert emitting a red light earlier? I quite liked that color.”

In that way, the ghost became a ‘light.’

A sphere about half the size of a fist.

Rolling it this way and that.

“Oh? Purple comes out too?”

The Demon God wore a satisfied smile.

He would use this as a special light in tomorrow’s performance.

He could just absorb it at an appropriate time later anyway.

“Hmph.”

.

.

And finally.

“Yoo Jin-ah.”

“Yes, y-yes!”

All of this had been shocking.

Actually, Yoo Jin-ah was even more startled that he called her by name instead of ‘Zombie,’ and she answered in formal speech without realizing it.

“Thou shalt forget once thou wakest.”

“Ah….”

With the ghost’s annihilation, the space was completely collapsing.

People began to lie down one by one as if they were sleepy.

It was a temporary faint before their memories vanished.

‘So I’ll lose all these memories once I lie down and wake up.’

Yoo Jin-ah could somehow tell.

It wasn’t a good memory, yet why did she feel a sense of regret?

She didn’t want to fall asleep.

“Instead.”

“Pardon?”

The Demon God reached out.

“I shall make sure thou wakest up feeling even better.”

Thump. The Demon God’s hand gripped Yoo Jin-ah’s head.

In addition to the temporary faint that came with the collapsing space, the Demon God’s Authority [Deep Sleep Inducement] was applied.

Along with a whispering voice.

“This is fan service.”

‘Mmm.’

‘Maybe it’s okay to sleep if it’s like this.’

Yoo Jin-ah closed her eyes completely.

“To come all this way to see Pantheon, thou art truly commendable.”

Speaking to himself while looking at the sleeping Yoo Jin-ah, the Demon God slowly raised one hand.

With a snap of his fingers, everyone opened their eyes simultaneously.

“Oh? Sun-woo?”

Yoo Jin-ah was met with a shocking sight as soon as she opened her eyes.

“Didst thou have a good dream?”

Before her eyes, her favorite idol was smiling.