As the night passed, darkness clung to what had once shone brightly in daylight. The throne, now swallowed by shadow, bore the king seated upon it, his expression unreadable as he gazed down at the person who had brought him news.
"My lord!" the figure called, kneeling before the king without lifting his gaze.
The king remained expressionless, and the king studied him intently. The figure knelt times, yet the king said nothing, the throne room stretching into a silence so heavy it could have been felt. He stared at the figure like a predator sizing up its prey, deciding whether to spare it or not.
The figure remained silent, his silence itself an answer; the mission had not been completed successfully. He kept his head lowered, yet the piercing gaze of the king bore into him as though it could strip away every layer of defiance.
The king's fingers tapped against the armrest of his throne, slowly but with an edge of impatience growing beneath the calm exterior.
"You have disappointed me," the king said.
Though the figure before him was stronger in physically stronger, the figure began to tremble under the king's radiant presence, an aura so uniquely regal it seemed capable of conquering strength itself.
"M… my deepest apologies, my king. This knight has failed to meet your expectations."
The figure bowed his head even lower.
The king raised his hand in a gesture of restraint, though the motion felt excessive and almost meaningless.
"Have you learned where the heroes from another world have gone?" he asked.
The figure bowed his head. "We discovered that the hero passed through a portal into the demon realm."
"Demon realm?" He rubbed his beard, amusement glinting in his eyes.
"To think heroes would dare such a thing… I truly underestimated them."
"My king, we can deploy our troops and..."
"Korthain," the king interrupted, his relaxed demeanor vanishing as he returned to his commanding presence. "We cannot do that."
"That person still hasn't requested our presence."
"Ah!" Korthain looked at his king, as if he finally understood what the king meant.
"So… my king, shall we wait until the person responds?" Korthain asked. The king said nothing, instead giving a slight nod in acknowledgment of Korthain's words.
"You may leave now," the king said, waving his hand for him to depart from the presence.
With a short bow, he acknowledged King Korthain, then vanished behind the doors, leaving the throne room steeped in silence as the king remained alone.
"What a lovely subordinate you have," a feminine voice rang from behind the throne as a figure emerged from the shadows.
"I told you not to disturb me," the king said coldly, his eyes fixed straight ahead, ignoring her presence.
The figure didn't flinch at the king's command. Instead, she leaned back on the throne and said,
"Oh my, don't be so mad at me," she giggled.
"I came here because of that person's message," he said, his gaze darting toward her as he mentioned the name.
"What did he say?"
The woman sighed. "He said to hold your chase after the heroes. He thinks it's sufficient… for the time being."
The king nodded at her message. "You may go now."
The woman smiled slyly.
"Aw! Don't be like that. We could still enjoy ourselves."
She reached out toward his face, and just as her hand neared him, he caught it firmly in his own.
"Don't make me repeat myself," he said, staring into her bloodlust-filled eyes. For a moment, her confident smile faltered.
"Fine!" she snapped, pulling her hand free and stepping back slowly. "Even if you try to act like a king, you are nothing but a puppet under that person's control."
As her final words faded, she dissolved into the darkness, vanishing without a trace, suffocating in silence one last time.
The king gazed out at the starless sky for a moment, his expression softening briefly before hardening once more.
"Soon," he whispered, a thin smile creeping across his face. "We will fulfill my long-cherished wish."
***
For the first time, Ilwoo tasted the grit of the sand as he awoke. Slowly, he realized where he was: an endless red sky stretched across the horizon, blazing above a vast, barren desert.
His eyes looked at the wasteland, settling on the dunes that rolled endlessly before him.
Searching for his teammates, he saw them lying sprawled across the sand, unconscious but still alive. His heart clenched as he watched their chests rise and fall with each labored breath.
Thankfully, they had escaped the immediate danger, only to fall into another. As he stood up, brushing the sand off his clothes, he stubbornly looked at the dunes, hoping to spot any signs of life in the distance. But all he saw was the endless desert stretching before him.
"Where are we now? I hope we at least got teleported somewhere close to the city…" Ilwoo thought.
Lost in thought, his gaze fixed on the horizon, a rustling sound came from behind. Turning his head, he saw his teammates beginning to wake, one by one.
"Where are we?" Hayeon pressed her hand to her head, wincing as a headache throbbed from the teleportation.
"The Demon Realm," Ilwoo said, offering his hand to her.
Without hesitation, she took it and stood on her own. She gazed out at the barren landscape. "So… this is the Demon Realm?"
"Unfortunately, yes," he replied.
"Not what I imagined," she murmured, stepping toward Minji, who was still unconscious. She checked her carefully, making sure she was okay. Once reassured, she straightened up.
"We have to wait until they wake up," Ilwoo said, glancing at Jinhyuk, who was still lying in front of him.
A few minutes later, Minji and the rest of the group began to stir, slowly coming out of their unconscious state. Ilwoo explained where they were and explained the current situation, making sure everyone understood what had happened.
"We have to leave before night falls," Ilwoo said, glancing at everyone.
"The night?" Kim Donghyun frowned, looking at the red sky. "Isn't it always night in the demon realm?"
Ilwoo nodded, confirming his question. "Yeah, the sky is always dark here, but you can still tell when night is coming."
Minji raised her hand, drawing everyone's attention. "Then how do we find a place to reach before nightfall?"
"I have a solution for that," he grinned, pulling something from his inventory.
"A… compass?" Jinhyuk muttered, eyeing the object in his hand. It looked just like a compass from the modern world.
"So, what are you going to do now? Look for treasure?"
"Even better," Ilwoo replied, his gaze fixed on the distant barren lands. "We're going to find the nearest demon city."