Chapter 4: Journey (1)

Lerajie, who had escaped from the detention center, felt a momentary surge of joy at her success.

But reality quickly set in.

Where exactly was this vast plain, and where should she go to find the Demon King? She had no idea.

What would happen to her friends and grandmother left behind in the detention center? Only the worst thoughts lingered in her mind, haunting her continuously.

And above all…

“Ugh… eugh…”

Lerajie vomited bile onto the field, her stomach empty of any food.

Physically, her body was at its limit.

Long years in the detention center, recent torture, and starvation had taken their toll.

The sudden flood of emotional upheavals and mental stress over such a short period was a weight that no ordinary girl could bear.

The moment her whole body relaxed, an overwhelming pain she had been ignoring pressed down on her consciousness. In her current state, surviving and recovering in nature was not something she knew how to manage.

I have to do it.

If I don’t, I’ll never see my friends or grandmother again.

Despite pushing herself, there were limits to how far the mind could surpass the body.

After taking a few steps, Lerajie finally collapsed on the spot.

If not for the soft grass cushioning her fall, she surely would have injured herself further.

Lying down, Lerajie struggled to turn her body so her face and stomach faced the sky.

This was the last of her strength.

Gasping endlessly for breath, Lerajie lay there.

After about a minute, a white rabbit sat on her stomach.

“…?”

Lerajie, lacking even the energy to shoo it away, could only stare blankly at the rabbit.

But in the next instant, she noticed a giant beast approaching her spot.

It had the shape of a wolf, though its eyes were numerous and positioned irregularly.

Its size was so immense that it would be better compared to a tree than a wolf.

Its fur was a deep crimson, a color rarely found in nature.

Am I… going to be eaten like this?

Caught in primal fear, Lerajie watched blankly as the beast devoured the rabbit on her stomach.

Crunch, crack—the sound of the rabbit’s bones breaking echoed right in front of her.

“Uh…”

It was the first time Lerajie had seen a beast like this up close.

She had only heard of such creatures from her grandmother’s stories.

The fact that these creatures often preyed on people was rather concerning.

The beast, relishing the taste of the rabbit like a candy, swallowed it and then gazed intently at Lerajie with its eyes.

“Um… hello?”

Lerajie cautiously greeted it.

The only thing she could rely on was the Demon King’s promise that he needed her.

Perhaps, since this beast was part of the demon realm, it might spare her?

Whether her intuition was right or not, the beast chose to dig at the ground rather than devour her.

The ground directly beneath Lerajie was dug up as the beast burrowed, lifting her up onto its back as soil scattered.

“Huh…?”

The beast sniffed the ground a few times and, with Lerajie now on its back, began to move somewhere.

The Demon King needs me.

If this wolf was sent by the Demon King… I suppose it’s safe to trust it?

In any case, Lerajie had no other options.

Carefully, she held onto the wolf’s fur to avoid falling off.

The wolf didn’t seem to mind her actions.

As she rode along with the wolf’s steady, rhythmic strides, Lerajie felt herself growing sleepy.

If this wolf is the Demon King’s companion, I guess it’s okay to sleep.

Her worn-out body convinced her mind to rest, and Lerajie quietly fell asleep on the wolf’s back.

“It’s not like the Demon King sent me; I’m just keeping her as emergency rations.”

Lerajie woke up to a sharp, foul stench assaulting her nose.

For a demon like her to notice such a stench, a beastman in her place wouldn’t have been able to stand it.

The wolf had carried her into a cave.

She assumed this must be the wolf’s den.

The sleep seemed to have done wonders for her body; although the pain lingered, she felt slightly more comfortable than before.

Lera Jie cautiously shifted her body to look toward the exit.

The wolf was curled up, sleeping right by the entrance. Did animals usually sleep at the nest entrance like that? It looked as if it were blocking the way on purpose, which made Lera Jie feel uneasy.

Maybe I can sneak out while it’s asleep?

She took careful steps, moving silently to avoid making any noise. After a few steps without any reaction from the wolf, her confidence grew as she moved closer to the exit. If she could just get past the wolf…

But as she approached, she felt the wolf move beside her, and she froze in place. Glancing over with just her eyes, she saw the wolf staring back at her with its irregular eyes open, sniffing a few times.

“…Do I smell or something?”

Lera Jie mumbled this absurd question to herself, fully aware that the wolf wouldn’t respond. As it continued to focus on her, she bit her lower lip.

What…what should I do now?

Magic? Should I try using magic?

But… would my magic even hurt it?

Or maybe… an escape spell? How did that one go again?

Recalling the spell she used at the camp, she gathered her magic in her arms and slashed at the air, leaving behind a trail of shimmering blue energy that looked like constellations. But, unfortunately, that was all.

“Huh…”

She glanced back at the wolf. It seemed just as confused as she was, staring at her with a blank look.

In the next moment, the wolf opened its mouth wide, filling her vision with its sharp teeth, hot breath, and dark, gaping throat that seemed like it would swallow her whole.

“Ahhh!”

But before the wolf could reach her, an arrow flew through the air from outside the cave and struck the wolf’s face.

With a furious roar, the wolf turned in the direction the arrow had come from. The roar was so loud that the force of

it alone pushed Lera Jie back.

Through the haze of noise, she saw a figure approach the wolf as it charged. The person was wearing sturdy hunter’s

clothes, with animal ears poking out from their head and a tail swaying behind them. They were a demon—more

specifically, a beastfolk.

As the wolf drew nearer, the beastfolk shot a few more arrows, then quickly pulled a spear from their back. The

moment they were close enough, the beastfolk thrust the spear deep into the wolf’s open mouth, dodging the wolf’s

snapping jaws with ease. The spear drove deep into the wolf’s body, causing it to thrash wildly in pain before it finally

collapsed.

“Oh my…”

Lera Jie marveled at the beastfolk’s smooth movements, but it seemed they were just as surprised.

“Demon King… so this is why…”

Hearing the beastfolk mention the Demon King, Lera Jie’s eyes widened, and she ran over to them.

“Did the Demon King send you?!”

“I didn’t get orders directly…but, yes, I saw it in a dream.”

“Huh? A dream?”

“In my dream, I saved a young demon girl in this cave. I guess that was you.”

“Did they… did they die? How long has it been? H-have you seen any children? They’re my friends…”

Lera Jie’s voice was filled with urgency as she bombarded the beastfolk with questions. In response, the beastfolk raised both hands, signaling her to calm down.

“I don’t know. Survival comes first. Going there won’t necessarily save them, will it? Keep calm.”

“…But…”

“They need to be alive if you want to see them again. So…”

“But the Demon King is different.”

The beastfolk hunter hesitated, biting back a retort.

Right now, he was here because he had been guided by the Demon King. If the Demon King had sent him to save this child, it meant she was significant to him. Could the prophecies of the priestesses actually be true?

The hunter looked at Lera Jie with a complex expression, listening to her words patiently.

“The Demon King told me I’m needed. I’ll beg him to save everyone.”

“…Where is the Demon King?”

“…I don’t know either…”

“…So the Demon King sent me here…”

The hunter opened his bag, pulling out a map and some food supplies.

“See here?”

He pointed to a nondescript spot on the map. Although the map was covered with locations and important buildings, the area he pointed to was a blank green space.

Using a sharp needle, he marked the spot for her.

“What’s there?”

“There’s an abandoned facility of the Demon King’s sect in this location.”

“It’s not marked on the map…”

“Not missing—erased. So it wouldn’t be found. There are no other places related to the Demon King nearby. If he’s looking for you, that’s the most likely place.”

The hunter handed her the map and the food.

“How long has it been since you ate?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Then eat slowly. Don’t eat too much at once, no matter how hungry you are.”

“Yes.”

“Also, set out immediately. This isn’t far from the detention camp. The guards will be here soon. I’ll leave shortly too—I came because of a dream, but I’m not staying.”

“…Come with me! I’ll introduce you to the Demon King as someone who helped me—”

“No.”

The hunter’s refusal was firm.

“I don’t think the Demon King brought me here for that.”

“Then at least, tell me your name…!”

He looked over at her frail body.

It was impossible. A young girl like her, in this condition, couldn’t possibly make it to the marked location. Her

wounds, left untreated, were festering, and hunger had already started consuming her muscles. She was beyond

exhaustion, moving purely on willpower.

But if the Demon King’s blessing and guidance, as the priestesses had predicted, were truly with her, then perhaps it was possible.

In that case, leading her was not his duty.

“Just go. Let’s not know each other’s names. That way, if we’re caught, we can’t betray each other.”

“…Understood.”

Lera Jie gathered the map and food, bowing deeply in gratitude.

“Please… let’s meet again.”

“…Yes, I hope for that too.”

After exchanging farewells, Lera Jie began running again.

Watching her take off, the hunter was surprised. Despite her poor condition, she managed to run with determination.

She must have precious ones in that camp…

After gathering his thoughts, the hunter began his work.

Following her at a distance, he erased her footprints as he went along—a survival tactic he’d perfected over years of evading detection.

Not only that, he deliberately altered the remaining traces to mislead any pursuers.

Once he was done, the hunter climbed a tree and hid among the branches.

It wasn’t long before guards in white uniforms found the traces, using hand signals to fan out and investigate. Satisfied, the hunter watched them and then vanished into the forest.

Meanwhile, within the Throne of Consciousness, the Demon King felt a new power awakening within himself.

Realizing the significance of a single word he had spoken and how a demon had answered it, he understood what had

happened.

He had gained a divine attribute.

Just as the underworld’s will kept him from death, another part of its will was gradually transforming him into a deity. Realizing this, the Demon King knew his revival was imminent.

For ordinary beings, death was the end, and rebirth was impossible.

But for a deity, such rules did not apply.

Rather than listening to his subjects’ sorrow from this throne, he intended to descend directly and resolve everything himself.

This was his plan.

Currently, his divine power was weak—only able to influence minor coincidences within a small region.

Yet, even this faint power was enough to gently guide Lera Jie toward him.

Seated upon his throne, the Demon King saw a blue flame slowly drawing nearer.

“…Daughter of the Underworld, do not give up.”

Lera Jie needed the Demon King.

And the Demon King needed Lera Jie.

They were indispensable to each other.