Volume One: The Nature of the Devil Does Not Change, and the Dead Devil's Heart Regrets Nothing
The devil moved through the Sealed World of Shadows at high speed, shooting upward with unbelievable acceleration before the octopus-like tentacles linked to the surrounding eyes could catch him. He burst out from within the earth—or more precisely, from within his own shadow—after it shifted slightly, and a massive surge of black-and-white ink erupted behind him.
For an instant, the shadow warped as the devil emerged, its shape stretching taller. It was clear it now wore a sharp, classic black military cap and an extremely long black coat that trailed behind it. A terrifyingly wide grin spread across it, bright white teeth flashing—visible only because the shadow itself was pitch-black, like a door with no entrance.
The devil, however, remained expressionless. He watched the shadow complete its transformation without a word.
When the change finished, the devil pulled out a bamboo hat wrapped in black cloth and placed it on his head. His voice was cold.
"Try to hide your teeth, clown. I don't want anyone to suspect me—especially since I don't know exactly where I am. I'll observe from the front. You watch from behind."
The shadow's grin vanished. It nodded.
The devil moved on. The area was rural, near a massive mountain—towering trees with green leaves, gray clouds overhead, wet soil filling the air, with faint crickets and birds in the distance. The scenery felt unfamiliar; it didn't resemble anything he remembered from his past lives.
When he spotted a village ahead, he spoke calmly.
"Hmm… a civilized place. Strange. I expected dead land… but I need to ask where I am. Shadow—I'll wait here. You go and find out where we are."
The shadow nodded, slipped out from under the devil's feet, and flowed across the land toward the village. Meanwhile, the devil began walking after it at a measured pace—watching through the shadow's eyes and seeing whatever it saw.
The shadow passed an old man reading stories to children. It jumped to another shadow and watched people trading goods, an elderly woman weaving wool, a man working the fields. Scenes like these were familiar to the devil; he had witnessed them billions of times—and more.
A telepathic message reached him, the voice distorted and barely understandable.
"My lord… we are on a planet called Earth, in a country called China—specifically, southern China."
The devil closed his eyes, then opened them. A cold, demonic smile formed on his face.
"Return, Shadow."
With speed that shattered the light itself, the shadow returned behind him. The devil surged toward the village and thought to himself:
(Hah… China? It doesn't matter. I need to evolve my bloodline and obtain power… by slaughtering everyone in the village and absorbing their blood.)
He rushed forward—then deliberately slowed at the village entrance.
Two guards stood at the gate. The first was thin, with a beard and long hair tied back like a ponytail. The second was a young man holding a spear and wearing armor, his black hair slightly long. From a distance, they saw a small child approaching—wearing a bamboo hat, with cloth hanging around its edges.
The first guard shouted nervously:
"Hey! Who are you? Identify yourself!"
The devil stepped up to the gate and stopped in front of them, silent. The second guard clicked his tongue, speaking with contempt.
"Tch… it's a child. Why are you nervous, big brother? And it looks like this kid isn't from the village… but wait—why is he wearing a hat?"
The older guard replied tensely, sweat pouring down against his will.
"I don't know… but I'm afraid of this child."
The younger guard burst into hysterical laughter.
"HAHAHAHA! You're scared? My God… where's your manhood?"
The devil shifted slightly to the left.
"I have a gift for you both."
The second guard stepped closer, curious, not realizing the disaster about to happen.
"And what gift is that?"
The devil leaned a little, his voice deadly calm.
"Death."
Before either of them could truly process it, a sharp black blade shot out from the devil's shadow and pierced the first guard. His body jerked as blood burst out violently. He choked, struggling for breath.
The devil moved instantly, seized the second guard by the neck, and snapped it—while the first guard, still barely conscious, watched his brother's brutal death before he, too, fell lifeless.
Both bodies burst apart in a violent mess. Blood splashed outward. The shadow rose into a human form and devoured the remains with savage hunger, leaving nothing behind.
At the same time, the devil raised his hand. The blood on the ground lifted, floated, and streamed into his palm. Veins bulged across his hand—proof that his blood was growing stronger.
After five minutes, the shadow finished. The grin returned, crazed and wrong. The devil had absorbed every drop of blood and decided to test his new strength. He examined his left hand—the one that had drawn in the blood—and spoke:
"I feel refreshed… this will make my physical power far greater."
[Note: the word "ghayrlihiya" = minutes]
He clenched his fist and struck a wall—half of it exploded into small fragments, dust and smoke billowing thickly through the air. Behind that wall, an old man's house collapsed as well.
The old man fell to the ground, terrified. He raised a hand as if to shield himself, his voice trembling.
"Please… I don't want to die."
The devil didn't wait. He moved and tore the old man apart with horrifying ease. Blood sprayed through the air like a red flood. The old man's head slumped to the right, and his last words were:
"Please… I don't want to die."
The devil gave a light laugh.
"Hah… humans don't want to die—when immortality is far worse than death. Shadow, come… it's time for the massacre."