Could a human thrown into the Demon Realm survive?
The Demon Realm was similar to the continent but vastly different.
A war had just ended, leaving a devastated wasteland, with demons
rampaging through the treacherous terrain, and thick demonic energy that
could easily suffocate any human.
In such a cruel environment, how weak were humans?
Akne didn't even know she was human at first.
Naturally, she thought she was a demon.
Like a cat thrown into a wolf pack, she firmly believed she was a wolf, a
shortsighted thought she had due to her young mind.
Still, life itself was comfortable, if anything.
-Akne, it's time to absorb your energy.
In reality, it was no different from a large prison, but Akne was somewhat
satisfied living in a luxurious castle with servants. There were no dangers.
The Demon Lord periodically fed and raised her like a pet. It was exactly at
that level, but the girl didn't know.
Since she had lived this life since she regained consciousness, she had no
complaints or dissatisfaction. Not just herself, but she thought everyone
lived this way.
Akne was periodically infused with the energy of virgins, due to the Demon
Lord's command.
The command was to absorb as much energy as possible, to later elevate her
power and gain immense strength.
But, when did it start?
As the girl grew, she gradually realized.
-The Demon Lord appointed this mere human girl as the Spider Goddess? I
can't understand why, no matter how much I think about it.
-She's not even an ascended human, just a mere fleshy body. I too cannot
understand it.
-It's the will of the Demon Lord. Accept it.
-I've already accepted it. But I don't quite like this Spider Goddess. Should
I deal with her sometime?
The seven Demon Gods of the Demon Realm, excluding Akne.
They spoke words full of contempt towards Akne, saying them right in front
of her. Naturally, the girl could not help but have questions.
Why do they hate me?
Probably because I'm human.
…What does it mean to be human? Wasn't I a demon?
After that, she carefully observed her own birth and soon realized. She was
distinctly different from demons.
It was painful. The more she knew, the more it hurt.
Soon, she realized that she was human.
She thought that it was infinitely despairing. At the same time, she knew
that being human in the Demon Realm would be an endless struggle.
Most demons gain power by taking the lives of other races. It was the
unique way demons absorb energy, often referred to as "absorption."
However, Akne had to eat food and sleep regularly. By the time the girl was
almost eight years old, she was driven to the brink of madness from
loneliness.
-Akne, it's time to absorb your energy.
It was a routine like any other, but the girl had already fallen into a severe
depression. It was extremely lonely being the only one among the demons
with a different origin.
The demon servants in the castle treated Akne very matter-of-factly, but
once she stepped outside the castle, she would be met with contempt and
scorn from the other Demon Gods.
-If it wasn't for the Demon Lord's favoritism, she'd be doing hard labor like
the rest. Why does she think she's so special?
-Stay locked in the castle. Every time I see you, my heart fills with malice.
It's hard to endure.
Inside the castle, she was bored and lonely, but outside she would be
tormented. The girl even thought about death.
One day, she couldn't take it anymore.
Why am I human, unlike the other demons?
Why, of all things, am I human?
And why did the Demon Lord appoint me as a Demon God, despite being
despised like this? What reason could there possibly be?
In order to ask all these questions, she went to the Demon Realm's archives.
"Greetings, Spider Goddess."
The record keeper, who had no eyes, greeted Akne with quite a friendly
attitude. It was a pleasant surprise.
After hearing Akne's request, the record keeper sighed softly, as if feeling
great sympathy.
"Knowing the truth isn't always a good thing."
The first words were very meaningful.
"Even though your origin is human, you live comfortably in the Demon
Realm thanks to the Demon Lord's special care, don't you? You should just
continue living as you are."
However, Akne hated her life as it was.
Receiving the energy of virgins brought great pain, and every time she
trained to draw out demonic energy with her human body, she was wracked
with fever.
But the real hardship was not the external pain.
The demons, under the Demon Lord's orders, had to treat Akne with great
respect. This was only from the lower demons; the Demon Gods openly
showed their dislike.
Discrimination, contempt… this was unbearably painful.
The girl spoke with deep earnestness.
"I am certainly grateful to the Demon Lord. However, I want to know why I
am human, yet here in the Demon Realm. Humans are supposed to be born
and raised on the continent, aren't they?"
The record keeper showed a worried expression in response.
"Hmm, so you've learned how the other humans live in the Demon Realm."
"Yes. They're all treated like livestock."
The girl's words were true.
Humans dragged into the Demon Realm in soul form were subjected to
hard labor all day long.
In their living days, they had sold their souls for power, and as payment,
they had to work eternally after death.
This made her even more curious.
Why was Akne dropped into the Demon Realm alive, not as a soul? Why
had the Demon Lord given her the title of Spider Goddess, unlike other
humans?
The record keeper shook his head.
"This is a forbidden record by the Demon Lord. Please leave, so you don't
take on unnecessary misfortune."
"…Please. Please tell me."
A pleading request flowed from the girl's lips.
"It's about me. If I don't know this, I'll keep worrying and won't be able to
do anything."
The record keeper showed sympathy but remained firm. In the end, he did
not change his stance.
"I'm sorry. This is also the Demon Lord's command."
It was an unavoidable situation. The girl didn't have the power to force the
record to be shown.
However, the record keeper's words were troubling her.
As soon as Akne asked, his expression darkened, and he warned her
repeatedly. It meant that the stories surrounding her were filled with nothing
but misfortune.
The girl wasn't dense. Hence, she was tormented by this realization.
"I'm so curious… I feel like I'm going to go crazy…"
"From now on, try to forget."
The record keeper said kindly.
"Those who come to me are always full of themselves. They think they can
accept any truth, and that they are ready for it… But I've rarely seen
someone stand firm. You, too, Spider Goddess."
Suddenly, the record keeper brought his hands together in front of his
forehead, the pose used when praying to the Demon Lord.
Akne just listened.
She couldn't do anything. She was weak.
"If you fall, Spider Goddess, it will be a tragic event, and at the same time,
it will betray the Demon Lord's grace for believing in you. Please
understand."
In the end, Akne had to retreat.
Even after retreating, she circled the archive for a long time. She was so
close to the truth, yet couldn't grasp it, feeling frustrated.
She felt like she was going mad. She couldn't give up. She kept thinking if
there was another way.
The one who called the girl, who had spent the night in front of the archive,
was surprisingly one of the Demon Gods.
"Spider Goddess, you seem to be struggling."
Startled, Akne looked for the source of the voice. There was no head where
it should be. Instead, a violet candle was burning in its place.
A bizarre appearance, yet a powerful demonic aura.
A pain that cannot be obtained, no matter how desperately one wishes for it.
A grudge.
"If you wish to know your past, I will tell you."
It was the one thing Akne had been longing to hear.
"However, if you completely fall apart afterward, don't blame me. What do
you say? The choice is entirely yours."
Han Shin was also one of the Demon Gods who looked down on Akne. In
other words, he wanted to see her break down and be beyond recovery,
which was why he was making this proposal.
Despite knowing this clearly.
"…I want to know."
Akne nodded her head.
Whether the truth would be poison or joy to her, she had no idea at all.