TDLHRH 13

The moment Hyeon closed the distance of barely a meter in an instant with a single step and drew the sword hidden in his cane, Horang’s eyes narrowed. She raised a hand, and a thorn made of dark energy materialized, embedding itself in Hyeon’s neck. He collapsed to the floor, clutching at the thorn as if trying to pull it out.

“Hmm, what should I do? Should I kill this one or not?” Horang mused aloud, her tone casual despite the tension in the air.

“Ugh…” Hyeon groaned, his face twisted in pain.

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“Noona, stop! Stop it! What are you doing?!” Haerang shouted, rushing forward but hesitating as he took in the scene before him.

“Oh, oh, little brother. Just wait a moment. I’ll take care of this quickly.” Horang replied, her voice light and unaffected.

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“Noona!” Haerang cried out again, his voice laced with desperation.

Hyeon, now lying on the floor with the dark energy thorn embedded in his neck, let out a desperate scream. The situation had unfolded in the blink of an eye, leaving Haerang in stunned disbelief. He had witnessed everything—his sister pushing him aside, stepping forward, and Hyeon’s anguished cry. Yet, he couldn’t hear any of it. It was as if time had slowed, and he was trapped in a nightmare he couldn’t wake up from.

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The thorn in Hyeon’s neck was undeniably Horang’s doing. Haerang’s mind raced as he struggled to process what he was seeing. He kept his guard up, ready to intervene if Hyeon tried to attack Horang. But the distance between Hyeon and Horang was too close, and before Haerang could react, the situation was already over.

Haerang’s only solace was that Hyeon was still alive, despite the thorn lodged in his neck. He clung to Horang, as if physically holding her back might prevent her from taking Hyeon’s life. He trusted his sister, believing she wouldn’t kill someone right in front of him. Yet, this incident made him deeply realize that Horang was capable of taking a life.

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“Can you pull that out, please? If you kill someone here, it’ll be a big deal, Noona! I can’t cover for you!” Haerang pleaded, his voice trembling.

“It’s fine. I’m not killing him; I’m just getting rid of him, right?” Horang replied nonchalantly.

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“It’s NOT fine!” Haerang shouted back, his frustration evident.

“Gosh, you’re so troublesome. I can’t kill him, I can’t get rid of him, so what am I supposed to do?” Horang said, her tone laced with exasperation.

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“Just let him live!” Haerang demanded, his voice firm.

“Haerang, you say you’ve been working as a hunter, but you’re still so soft. If you let those kinds of people live, they always power up and come back, you know?” Horang remarked, her words casual yet laced with a hint of experience.

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Haerang was left speechless by her comment. “…Noona, what have you been through to end up like this?” he muttered, his voice drained.

For a moment, Horang hesitated. It was a fact known to her that she wasn’t the same as before. A 21-year-old kid whose biggest hardship had been college entrance exams and a year of retaking classes couldn’t be the same as a demon king who had repeatedly survived life-or-death situations, eating dirt and grass to stay alive. But Haerang didn’t know that. She wished he wouldn’t know.

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Horang’s identity was clear: the ruler of the 666th floor, the demon king who conquered the demon realm, and Baek Haerang’s older sister, Baek Horang. She had lived as a demon king, staining herself with others’ blood and despair with every step she took. Yet, she was also Haerang’s only family.

Though it had only been two days since she returned to Earth and spent time with Haerang, Horang was already finding this life enjoyable. It might be a bit early to make such a judgment, but she was quite satisfied. She even thought she might be happy. Leaning back on an old sofa and watching TV was more enjoyable than sitting on the most precious throne in the endlessly deep demon king’s castle. The toast Haerang made tasted better than the lavish feast prepared by the butler.

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But if Haerang found out her true identity, could they still spend time together like this? Haerang would unknowingly fear her, and then she would end up spending lonely, dull, and unbearably long days even on this Earth. That was something she didn’t want. Yes, Horang disliked the idea of Haerang finding out she was the Demon King far more than the idea of some insignificant fool powering up and coming after her. Maybe even more than someone threatening her life.

The menacing Horang, who had seemed ready to kill Hyeon at any moment, slowly lowered her hand, and only then did Haerang let out a sigh of relief. With her back to Haerang, Horang bent down toward Hyeon, her dark, bloodshot eyes gleaming as she issued a low warning.

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“Know that I’m letting you go because of Haerang. There won’t be a next time, foolish and weak one.”

“…Ugh.” Hyeon groaned, still in pain.

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“Never bare your pathetic fangs at me again. Understood?” Horang demanded, her voice cold and commanding.

“Y-Yes, ma’am…” Hyeon stammered, his voice trembling.

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Horang pressed down on Hyeon with her overwhelming dark aura, extracting a forced response with her domineering stance. Only then did she retract the energy that had been dominating the space. Just from that alone, Haerang’s pale face regained a bit of color.

Finally, Horang also evaporated the thorn embedded in Hyeon’s neck. Although it appeared to have disappeared completely, Horang left a single thorn’s worth of dark energy wrapped around Hyeon’s heart as a contingency. If he ignored her warning and tried to challenge her again, his heart would burst before he even realized it. Though it wasn’t a perfect precaution, Horang had done enough for now. She relaxed completely and straightened a chair that had been thrown far away, leaning on it lazily.

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In the chaotic space, wrecked as if a storm had passed, Horang’s calm demeanor made her seem like a tiger, rightfully claiming her place at the top of the food chain. Seeing Hyeon, who couldn’t even meet Horang’s eyes out of fear, left Haerang with a bitter taste in his mouth.

The moment Horang removed the thorn, blood gushed out as if it had been waiting for its release. Haerang, startled, immediately supported Hyeon and placed his hand on Hyeon’s neck, which was still bleeding profusely. Horang briefly wondered what he was trying to do but dismissed it as something out of her control now. Just as she was about to sink deeper into her relaxed posture, a faint memory brushed past her mind.

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With an inexplicable sense of unease, Horang furrowed her brows slightly and asked, “…Haerang, what did you say your awakened power was again?”

“Holy energy. Don’t talk to me. I need to focus.” Haerang replied, his attention on healing Hyeon’s wound.

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“Oh, uh, okay…” Horang said, her tone softening.

It was something Horang hadn’t known—or rather, had forgotten. Haerang’s answer dredged up a memory that had been buried deep in her mind. Awakened powers. An extraordinary ability, distinct from common skills, possessed only by those with a title.

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How could I have forgotten this?

Horang rubbed her aching temples and bit the inside of her cheek, trying to recall more.

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Holy energy, holy energy… Could it possibly be similar to that wretched cockroach nonsense?

Among the worlds Horang had destroyed, there was one particularly persistent and troublesome realm. They would always charge at her, chanting the same phrase. It was too long to mean “Die!” so she cast a translation spell, only to find it meant “For Clea!” In short, they were cockroaches with faith.

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Horang, who hadn’t even touched games while on Earth, came to know the infamous tenacity of these so-called “holy bugs.” She lost her patience and wiped out their entire world without leaving a single patch of land behind. The god they worshipped so fervently didn’t show even a strand of hair, no matter how loudly they screamed his name as they died. It was an experience that solidified Horang’s belief that gods didn’t exist.

But now… my little brother is one of those cockroaches—no, a cultist—or, well, something like that? And I’m… the Demon King?

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Clinging to a faint hope that she might be wrong, Horang cautiously asked Haerang, who was focused on healing, “Haerang, you’re not following some weird god or anything, are you?”

“What are you even talking about now?” Haerang replied, his tone confused.

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“Oh, nothing. Never mind.” Horang said, her voice light and dismissive.

As the Baek siblings exchanged an awkward and uneasy conversation, Haerang’s efforts bore fruit. The gaping wound on Hyeon’s neck disappeared cleanly. Hyeon, pale-faced, rubbed his neck a few times before using his sword as a cane to shakily stand. Even though his physical injuries were healed, the mental trauma he had suffered was immense.

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He had always considered this place his second home and dreamed of returning one last time before he died to thank everyone who had helped him. But now… but now… As if lost in his thoughts, Hyeon stared at Horang with a far more serious expression than when he had faced her in combat, his gaze piercing through her.

…Now is the time to retreat.

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Hyeon’s vast experiences whispered to him that he could never defeat this demon with his current strength. But someday, he would return, stronger, and make her die the most miserable death imaginable. With that resolve, Hyeon tightly closed his eyes in frustration.

After everything had settled, staff members who had been hesitant to enter due to the clash of mana and dark energy flooded in all at once. Among them was Hyeyeon, who, upon seeing the shattered glass and scattered chairs, immediately resolved to push harder for amendments to the disarmament laws within the Awakening Center.

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Five years ago, after a guild master had been killed unarmed inside the center, the law had been revised to allow certain individuals—guild masters, influential figures, or their bodyguards—to carry light weapons for protection. The law had worked well so far. However, Hyeyeon had consistently advocated for reverting to the old disarmament law and strengthening the center’s security instead. Though her proposals had been repeatedly dismissed since no incidents had occurred, today’s event gave her the grim satisfaction of finally having proof.

…I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t pleased when I heard about the clash.

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Swallowing her unspoken thoughts, Hyeyeon surveyed the room. The only fortunate part was that no one seemed to be seriously injured—at least on the surface. Despite considering Haerang a kind soul, Hyeyeon knew she had to report this incident to the association. With a composed expression that hid her pity, she spoke in a calm tone.

“What happened here?”

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