Volume 1: The Nature of the Devil Does Not Change
Arc: The Devil Finally Leaves Earth
After Scarlet King unleashed his soundwaves at them, Lin Yuan, Ikalat, and the Spirit of Temptation clamped their hands over their ears. The pressure hammered into their skulls until blood seeped from their ears. Scarlet King kicked Ikalat in the stomach and said, voice flat,
"Move. There's no time for lust. Go to a brothel after we finish the mission."
Lin Yuan and Ikalat answered in unison,
"Damn you."
Scarlet King clicked his tongue, grabbing the Spirit of Temptation by the arm.
"Tsk. Nothing works on you except your mouth."
He held her in place and demanded,
"Who are you, and what benefit will I get from helping you?"
The Spirit hesitated, then spoke at last.
"I don't know what this place is. One moment I wasn't here, and the next I was. I've been here for a very long time, and I can't remember anything. But please—get me out. I also know where there's a cave nearby."
"A nearby cave?" Scarlet King murmured. "Hm… Fine. We'll go. But you're coming with us."
Inside his mind, thoughts turned cold and measured.
(That was my old hideout in one of my lives, back at the start of this new era of existence. Now we're in the middle of the era—most things should've been ground down and erased by time. Still… I can feel a powerful energy from the west.)
Scarlet King, Lin Yuan, and Ikalat followed as the Spirit guided them toward the cave. While they walked, Scarlet King and Ikalat spoke through telepathy.
(Did you feel that powerful energy from the west?)
(Yes. It's incredibly strong. Good thing Lin Yuan didn't sense it—he would've fainted from fear.)
They reached the place the Spirit indicated. Stone pillars speared up into the clouds. Bamboo branches lay scattered across the ground, and massive jungle trees crowded around the cave mouth like silent sentries.
At the entrance, nothing looked unusual—yet unease prickled along the skin. Lin Yuan swallowed, visibly unsettled.
"I don't feel comfortable in this place."
Scarlet King glanced at him, something like old memory stirring behind his eyes.
(Of course you don't. This was my stronghold—worse than evil itself, which is me. I lived here and hid from the 22 Great Concepts, beside the Rebirth Wheel. This world used to exist normally… until the Will of Heaven tried to imprison me, and it became a Sealed World.)
They stepped inside. The cave walls were smooth and cold, and small pools of water dotted the floor. Scarlet King walked to one wall and spoke in a strange language.
"[Information deleted] [Information deleted] [Information deleted] [Information deleted]"
The cave rippled, then reshaped itself into a black room. Three passages opened ahead, each leading into a different path. Scarlet King's voice was calm and clear.
"Lin Yuan and Ikalat, take the right. The Spirit of Temptation and I will take the left."
A faint movement brushed the edge of his consciousness—enough to make him wonder if the White Darkness and Black Darkness had awakened—but he dismissed it and headed left. Lin Yuan and Ikalat went right without protest.
Scarlet King let out a quiet, amused breath.
(Good. No arguing. They went to the less useful room, and I'm taking the one that matters—the room with the essentials: Existential Evolution Crystals and Infinite Energy Crystals.)
At the end of the corridor stood a simple wooden door. Scarlet King pushed it open. Inside was a large bookshelf, a table, and a chair. At first glance, three books and two crystals lay on the dark wooden tabletop, with a thin layer of dust over everything. Scarlet King's lips curved in a small, snowy smile.
"Ha. The heavenly cave didn't disappoint me. It really was very useful."
He stepped in and looked again, counting properly. There were four books. Scarlet King spoke as he read them off.
"The Book of the Basic Dao, The Book of Primordial Chaos, The Book of the Chaotic Origin of Existence, and The Demonic Book of Time Dimensions… All of them are useful. The first and third are for Lin Yuan and Ikalat. The rest are mine… and these two crystals."
His gaze settled on the crystals. One was yellow with a green center. The other was black, yet it glowed white from within.
Scarlet King picked up the black crystal and slipped it into the coat's inner space—a storage artifact disguised as clothing. Then he lifted the other crystal, studying it with sharp focus.
"Ah. The Existential Evolution Crystal… This is what will turn me into a giant without any problems."
He swallowed the crystal.