Volume One: "The Nature of the Devil Does Not Change"
Arc: "The Devil Finally Leaves Earth"
After Scarlet King swallowed the Crystal of Existential Evolution, nothing changed on the outside—but inside his body, something shifted. The crystal dropped into a black void and drifted through it, unsupported. Then it began spinning at a maddening speed, and a tiny white light emerged from its center, circling it like a planet orbiting a star. This was Scarlet King's first transformation—his new name was Titan King.
Sharp tingles spread through him, centered in the middle of his chest where the crystal had settled, yet his dead expression didn't move. It was only a physical sensation—nothing worth showing, nothing worth wasting on "meaningless expressions." To a devil like him, expressions and emotions were worthless. His goal was his highest principle; his mind carried a steel will, and his dead heart carried eternal perseverance. Scarlet King thought with clear focus:
(The new transformation… Titan King. I'll be able to transform anytime. But right now, I'm inside a cave. When I get out, I'll test it. For now, I have to deal with these books.)
Scarlet King turned to the books, took the Book of Reaching the Fundamental Dao and the Book of the Existential Chaotic Origin, and said calmly:
"The Hybrid."
The same red creature appeared—the one with the opening in its chest where a heart throbbed. It breathed with difficulty. Its body was badly deformed and burned, its mouth half-melted, its head topped with straight, arrow-like spikes, and its small arms looked like chicken wings. The Spirit of Temptation, watching from far away, recoiled in terror. Scarlet King continued:
"Give these two books to Lin Yuan and Ikalat."
The hybrid spoke in a distorted voice:
"My great lord, why didn't you tell the Yin-Yang Guards where you were? I was looking for you too."
Scarlet King answered with a rigid expression as he examined the remaining books:
"The Yin-Yang Guards are very powerful right now, and they're monitored by the Great Concepts. If they came to me immediately, it would reveal that I'm weak—that I need their help. It would also expose my current level of power. That would make the Concepts attack at once because of my weakness. But if I'm strong, they'll start making plans instead of attacking directly. That gives me more time to turn the tables on them—like I did in my previous life… though I was defeated in the end."
Octopus-like arms with three-fingered hands emerged from the hybrid, grabbed the Book of Reaching the Fundamental Dao and the Book of the Existential Chaotic Origin, and vanished into Scarlet King's shadow.
Scarlet King turned to the spirit.
"What's your name, and how did you come to this world—which is supposed to be sealed and nearly impossible to enter?"
The spirit answered with tension and fear. She looked small beside Scarlet King:
"My name is Yu Ru Mei—[static]… My name is Yu Ru Ming. How did I come here? I don't remember clearly. But I remember my father was a great king. He found a space-time gate that transported him to an unknown, strange place, and my adopted sister and I decided to go with him. When we entered, we explored briefly… and then we saw an injured man coming through the same gate we used. After that, the gate closed, trapping us here. That's what I remember. And I swear—if I ever see that man again, I'll eat him with my teeth."
That strange distortion in Yu Ru Ming's name made Scarlet King doubt her words, but he buried the doubt after a moment. He closed his eyes and thought deeply about what she'd said:
(Hah… the Will of Heaven tried to imprison me in the Sealed World four hundred million years ago. Any being locked alone for that long would lose their memories. So it seems that, during the sealing, some space-time gates opened. Those gates were expected—so the Will of Heaven and the Concepts stationed thousands of soldiers at them to prevent my escape. But a gate opening in the opposing demon dimensions wasn't anticipated. When I escaped through it, the seal activated and the world became a Sealed World. This family was trapped here… and I escaped through that demon gate… which means I'm most likely the man you're talking about, Yu Ru Ming.)
Scarlet King picked up the two remaining books and hid them inside his spatial-time coat.
[In the other room]
Ikalat and Lin Yuan didn't find anything interesting—except some women's clothing. Lin Yuan said:
"Was the one living here a woman? Hah… strange."
The room resembled the first one, but it had a simple, large double bed.
Ikalat spoke, staring at something else entirely:
"Bro—look at these two daggers."
Two daggers were mounted on the wall: large silver daggers with a powerful black aura pouring off them. Suddenly, the hybrid appeared behind the daggers.
Ikalat tensed to attack, but Lin Yuan stopped him.
"Relax, man. He's one of big brother's followers."
Without a word, the hybrid handed Lin Yuan the Book of Reaching the Fundamental Dao and gave Ikalat the Book of the Existential Chaotic Origin, but it thought to itself:
(This is the first time I've met them… How did Lin Yuan know I'm one of that embodied evil's followers—the devourer of benefits?)
The hybrid disappeared. When Lin Yuan and Ikalat looked back at the two daggers, they were gone.
Lin Yuan jolted in fear and grabbed Ikalat's hands.
"Damn it… how did they vanish all of a sudden??!!"
Ikalat threw Lin Yuan to the ground and shouted:
"You want to get married By what means and get a woman, but where's your manhood for any woman to accept you? …Still, you're right—this is genuinely terrifying! Come on, let's run to Scarlet King!"
The two rushed toward Scarlet King's room, but he had already left. They slammed into him in the corridor—he was holding two large daggers in his hands, the exact same ones that had been on the wall. They spoke at once:
"Wait… how did you take the daggers?"
Scarlet King answered coldly:
"I can see through my followers' eyes. Or I can place the Devil's Seal on them. I saw those twin-use daggers through the hybrid, then used the vaporization technique and took them—simple as that."