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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 11
Helena?
The Demon King?
Seonghyun stared blankly at Helena, unable to believe it.
Initially, he was a bit frightened by her introduction as the Demon King and the surrounding ghosts' fuss.
But he soon realized that Helena, like all the other ghosts, showed immense affection towards him.
He could sense it due to his ability.
But why was the Demon King in front of the statue commemorating the hero, Hindel?
As if reading his mind, Helena answered his unspoken question.
-Haha, this is also where I died.
"Ah."
It made sense now.
If this was where the hero Hindel died, it was plausible that the Demon King could have died here as well.
With that question resolved, another one arose.
'Isn't she human?'
Commonly, the term "Demon King" conjures up images of the ruler of demons or devils.
However, Helena looked nothing like a demon.
She appeared completely human.
'Isn't she a demon? Then why is she called the Demon King?'
As numerous questions surfaced, Helena nodded, as if familiar with his doubts.
-I'm sure there's a lot you don't understand. To put it simply, I am human.
"Huh?"
-However, I had an immense talent for black magic.
"Ah."
Finally, it clicked.
Even as ghosts, their personalities mirrored their past lives.
While all the ghosts showed him kindness and affection, those who were rough and violent in life still carried those traits.
But Helena was different.
She didn't exhibit any of those qualities.
And she didn't resemble a demon at all.
He had wondered why she was called the Demon King, but now it all made sense.
Her extraordinary talent in black magic alone would have been enough to earn her that title.
Even in Earth's medieval times, people were branded as witches for the slightest peculiarity.
With her exceptional talent in black magic, it was no wonder she was called the Demon King.
-Haha, even though I didn't conduct any human experiments or harm anyone, I guess they were afraid of me. Thanks to that, I ended up meeting the hero and fighting a bloody battle.
Despite her cheerful laughter, Helena's expression held a hint of sadness.
She seemed to accept the injustice with composure rather than complaining about it.
Even after all this time, it couldn't have been easy.
Seonghyun knew that feeling all too well.
He, too, had been ostracized and ridiculed for seeing ghosts.
The memories of that time, of the pain it caused him and his family, were still fresh and agonizing.
He understood her feelings completely.
The injustice, the sadness, and the only option left – to accept it all with stoicism and dignity.
There was nothing else he could do.
This was one of the reasons why Seonghyun had become so calm and composed.
-I had so many regrets. I wanted the knowledge and power I possessed to be passed on, but it couldn't be.
"I see."
-But then! Look what I discovered!
"....?"
-I've never seen anyone with such incredible talent!!! Someone with even greater talent than me!!
More talented than Helena, who was called the Demon King?
That couldn't be.
Seonghyun tried to deny it, but Helena was quicker.
-Even I, back then, couldn't see spirits and ghosts so clearly!! And to communicate with them like this, to absorb their memories and experiences... I couldn't have imagined it!!
"Huh?"
How did she know he could gain memories and experiences without him telling her?
Was that something you learned through deep knowledge of black magic?
Seonghyun felt his heart pounding.
Could it be?
He had sought to gain the memories and experiences of the hero Hindel to become a hero himself.
But was it possible to become the opposite, a Demon King?
Judging by Helena's tone, it seemed possible. But could it really be true?
As tension filled Seonghyun's face, Helena declared,
-My memories and experiences! And my power! The successor to inherit it all has finally arrived!!!
"Ah!"
-Here! I'll give you everything!!!
With those words, Helena spread her arms wide.
Both Helena and Seonghyun instinctively understood: how to gain memories and experiences, and how to pass them on.
A soft, bluish-green light emanated from Helena's outstretched arms.
The light gently enveloped Seonghyun, embracing him warmly and slowly seeping into him.
"Ah, this is..."
He felt it all at once.
Helena's memories and emotions.
The loneliness of all those long years spent running, hiding, living quietly, and researching alone.
Seonghyun couldn't help but empathize with the swirling emotions.
He had experienced them himself.
But at the same time, there was a clear distinction.
He had overcome those feelings, but Helena had ultimately given up.
He could sense it in their final battle with the hero.
Initially, she fought with resentment towards the hero and the people who attacked her.
Throughout the fight, she had the upper hand, overwhelming the hero Hindel and his party.
Helena remained composed until the very end, while Hindel and his companions were on the verge of defeat.
But the people continued to cheer for Hindel, and seeing that, Helena realized something.
She was unnecessary in this world.
So she gave up.
She offered her heart to the dying hero's blade, a blow she could have easily avoided.
In that moment, even Hindel realized that she was not the Demon King.
But it was too late.
Having fully inherited Helena's memories, Seonghyun opened his eyes, which now shone with a deep teal light.
'I'm different.'
He wouldn't give up. He hadn't given up.
Therefore...
"I'll show you a different side of me."
Seonghyun spoke, but Helena couldn't hear him. As she transferred her final memories and experiences to Seonghyun, her spirit crumbled and vanished.
Seonghyun didn't know whether she had attained Nirvana or simply ceased to exist after sharing her essence. However, one thing became clear.
'I can achieve something even greater than the hero.'
He would inherit the Demon King's, no, Helena's class.
Overlord.
[An 'unknown power' grants you strength beyond your stats.]
[Intelligence +10, Wisdom +10, Spirit +10 permanently increased.]
As his stats permanently increased, Seonghyun realized the two things Helena yearned for.
One was coexistence with humans.
And the other was...
'The pinnacle of the Overlord.'
The realm Helena failed to reach.
Seonghyun intended to ascend to that very peak.
He now had a purpose in Eternal World.
2.
Assistant Manager Lee Wonsong trembled with anxiety as he watched Seonghyun pay his respects at the statue of the hero Hindel.
A chilling sensation ran down his spine.
Seonghyun had been standing there for a long time.
Was there really something there?
Observing Lee Wonsong's anxious gaze and gestures fixated solely on Seonghyun, his junior colleague, Oh Jinhyeok, tilted his head in confusion.
'I understand that he gained a lot and is an irregular, but is he really that significant? Why is he so anxious?'
That was Oh Jinhyeok's thought.
"Senior, is there a need to be so wary?"
"About what?"
Startled by Lee Wonsong's sharp voice, Oh Jinhyeok scratched his head.
'Should I just not ask?'
But he had already started the conversation.
"Uh, about that user, Seonghyun. He passed the Hunter's Forest in Hindel Village and even obtained the treasure... That was really scary. The way he went straight to that spot and dug it up as if he knew something... and then the hidden piece appeared immediately..."
"Anyway, so what?"
"Oh, no, I mean, he's an irregular, but I was wondering if you need to be so concerned about him."
"You don't understand why I'm staring at a beginner instead of other single-digit or double-digit rankers?"
"... Uh, hmm..."
He couldn't answer, but honestly, that was how Oh Jinhyeok felt.
He wondered if there was any reason to pay more attention to this user than to those ranked in the single or double digits.
He genuinely didn't understand.
In a way, it was a natural question.
However, Assistant Manager Lee Wonsong let out a deep sigh and asked,
"Hey, Jinhyeok."
"Yes?"
"Have you ever seen something called an 'unknown power'?"
"Uh, no?"
"Have you ever seen a single-digit ranker use some strange, unknown power to increase their stats?"
"Uh, no?"
"Then what about him?"
"Ah..."
Stats permanently increased.
In Eternal World, every single stat point played a significant role.
Oh Jinhyeok knew this all too well.
"But it probably won't happen again, right?"
"Why?"
"W-well, common sense dictates that after a total increase of 10, it's unlikely to increase any further..."
"What if it does?"
"Uh..."
Oh Jinhyeok was speechless at Lee Wonsong's words. He simply had nothing to say.
No one, not even Immortal, knew what this "unknown power" truly was, so he couldn't offer any explanation.
Just then, a notification popped up at the perfect moment.
[User 『Seonghyun』 exhibits strength beyond his stats through an 'unknown power'.]
[Intelligence +10, Wisdom +10, Spirit +10 permanently increased.]
"Uwaaagh! What the heck is that!!!"
"Uwagh!"
The stat increase, which had been a measly 10 across two instances, now jumped by a whopping 30.
They couldn't help but be astonished by this insane surge, even greater than before.
Other employees glared at Lee Wonsong and Oh Jinhyeok for their screams, but they understood.
They had reacted similarly when users did something unexpected.
However, the current situation was far more serious.
Even an increase of 10 was a huge deal. But a sudden jump of 30?
This couldn't be ignored.
"S-senior? What should we do?"
"... Ha, the team leader is on vacation. If I contact him now, I won't be able to handle the consequences..."
"But wouldn't we get in more trouble if we don't report it?"
Oh Jinhyeok had a point, so there was no choice.
As Lee Wonsong was about to contact his team leader, who was currently on vacation, Seonghyun in the video feed started to move.
'What is he trying to do now?'
The fact that they were already scared meant they had been through a lot.
Seonghyun, having discovered something behind the statue of the hero Hindel, looked around and headed north, searching for something.
A chill ran down Lee Wonsong's spine as he recognized that familiar behavior and muttered,
"T-that's...?"
"Huh? Is there something else there?"
'Did my senior, who didn't know about the Hunter's Forest, know something about the hidden piece in Hindel Village?'
Oh Jinhyeok tilted his head, puzzled.
'Was there something there?'
'No, not really?'
He tried to recall the item list he had seen before, but nothing came to mind.
There were some minor items, but the user had already obtained most of what was available.
'There shouldn't be anything else for him to get here.'
As he was thinking this...
"Ah, you wouldn't know since you're still an associate. There's something in the data that's only accessible to assistant managers and above. It's about a hidden piece in Hindel Village."
"Huh? T-there's something like that?"
The information available varied depending on one's position.
'That makes sense.'
There was a reason why E-World didn't allow all employees to play Eternal World.
It was to prevent the possibility of using such information for unfair play.
Anyway, when Oh Jinhyeok asked, Assistant Manager Lee Wonsong nodded with a gloomy expression.
"There's one of the best classes in Eternal World..."
"What?! In the beginner village?!"
"It's no surprise you're shocked. Most of them are hidden in high-level areas, but this one is uniquely hidden in the beginner village. That's why it hasn't been discovered until now..."
Trailing off, Lee Wonsong bit his lip as he watched Seonghyun on the screen.
The conditions and clues were so tricky that no one had discovered it in the past year.
'But could that user, Seonghyun, be finding it right now?'
'But why is my senior so calm?'
No, he seemed rather out of it.
Seeing him staring at the screen with a creepy laugh, Oh Jinhyeok wondered if he had genuinely lost his mind from stress.
"S-senior, are you okay?"
"Ah, I'm fine. I'm fine. There's no way he can get it."
"Huh? Why? It looks like he's found something."
Indeed, Seonghyun had discovered some inscription-like markings behind the statues of the hero Hindel and his companions.
As an anxious Oh Jinhyeok asked with a trembling voice, Lee Wonsong replied with a laugh,
"Hufufufu, to obtain the class, you have to pass a test, and it's really difficult."
"Oh! So there's hope?"
"No, it's not a matter of hope. He absolutely can't solve it. Absolutely. Has that user ever frequented the library?"
"What? No. Has he?"
"Then he can't solve it even if he died and came back to life. That's the kind of test it is."
"Then that hidden piece..."
"If that user fails, no one can ever obtain it again. No one."
'That's better.'
Seeing his senior's confident assertion, Oh Jinhyeok also smiled.
'Well, I'm sure senior is right.'
"Ha, that's a relief. What would we have done if he had gotten that too?"
"Hahaha, I know, right?"
"No one can solve that unless they've seen a real demon ghost."
"Hahaha! There are no such things as ghosts!"
"Uh huh huh! Exactly!"
"So we don't have to report this to the team leader?"
"... No, we still have to."
"Ah."
Oh Jinhyeok inwardly cheered for his senior, who was about to get a severe scolding.
3.
Seonghyun strode forward with long steps.
His destination was further north of the cemetery located in the north of this area.
It was at the very edge of the cemetery.
Helena's memories weren't just from her life; he had also received those from after her death.
Although she had given up on being chosen by the people, she still had followers.
Those who dreamed of the resurrection of Helena, the one called the Demon King.
After her death, they placed Helena's body here, where the hero Hindel and his companions were buried.
Not only that, they hid a gem containing her power somewhere, and ironically, the clue to its location was written in code on the statues of Hindel and his companions.
'No wonder no one found it.'
Even Seonghyun, who knew there was a code, had a hard time finding it.
After confirming it once more, he came to the north side of the cemetery.
There, a tombstone with the same code was engraved.
Unlike the others, this tombstone occupied a considerably larger space, as if someone of great stature was buried there.
Seonghyun approached the wide tombstone and pressed firmly on the code inscribed on it.
The ground shook, and the wide space in front of the tombstone began to open.
Rumble rumble rumble
A stone staircase was revealed.
As if he already knew, Seonghyun naturally and slowly descended the stairs.
As he entered, the entrance closed seamlessly, and silence returned as if nothing had happened.
After descending for a while, he arrived at a fairly large stone chamber.
The chamber was bare except for a stone altar, and a beautiful teal gem floating above it.
[You have entered the hidden piece, 『Monarch's Chamber』.]
[The hidden piece, 『Monarch's Chamber』, will test you.]
[If you fail the test, the 『Monarch's Chamber』 will be closed.]
A daunting message.
If Seonghyun failed, no one would ever be able to obtain this.
He exhaled softly and opened his eyes, ready to face the challenge.
Countless letters appeared before his eyes.
[1. What is the correct gender of the one called the Demon King?]
[1. Male 2. Female 3. Demon 4. Neuter 5. Both]
[2. What is the correct name of the Demon King?]
[1. Helena 2. Harbella 3. Har 4. Amoste Mulliwood 5. Queisa]
... (omitted)
These were questions Seonghyun couldn't possibly get wrong.
"Easy."
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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