I Raided the Demon’s Treasury

Chapter 77

“By the way, why did you make this place a Sanctuary?”

“Perhaps you’re familiar with a monster called the ‘Black Whale’?”

“No, I’ve heard of the White Whale, but this is my first time hearing about the Black Whale.”

The White Whale. A monstrous creature resembling a whale, so enormous it could easily swallow one to two ships whole. It’s referred to as the tyrant of the sea, which destroys rather than conquers everything.

“It was a monster similar to that, or, more accurately, even more vicious and larger than the White Whale.”

“Was such a monster really outside the Tower?”

“The outside of the Tower was a thorough void, a hellish place running solely on the law of the jungle, beyond the system’s management.”

“How did you manage to capture such a monster?”

“The Constellation personally dealt with it. Thanks to this, we were able to reside in the Black Whale’s territory and, as a gesture of gratitude, turned its carcass into a Sanctuary.”

“…So that’s how it happened.”

Leviathan.

Contrary to being called a demon, perhaps he’s kinder than expected.

He defeated the Black Sea Queen, who tormented the merfolk, was expelled from the Tower alongside them, and even directly hunted the Black Whale, securing them a place to stay.

“Shax, you’re back early!”

“It seems like the other merfolk haven’t returned yet. Is there a problem?”

“And that human is…?”

As they reached the Sanctuary’s entrance, two merfolk pounded the ground with their spears as they greeted Shax.

It seemed they had left behind the minimum number needed to guard the Sanctuary.

“This is a guest who came to see the Constellation.”

“A-a guest of the Constellation?!”

“But… is it alright? It’s a human! Shax, you know what humans who enter the Tower do, right?”

“I am aware. But this is a decision for the Constellation. Step aside.”

“…Understood.”

“If it’s Shax’ decision, there must be a reason.”

The two guards stepped aside to clear the way.

The Sanctuary of Envy. Entering the mouth of the dead Black Whale, the light vanished completely as if by magic.

“The Black Whale had a trait of swallowing light. It’s the same even in death. If you are anxious, you can hold onto me and follow.”

“It’s fine.”

The Night Owl’s Eyes activated, drawing the scarce light within the Sanctuary into Se-woon’s vision.

While it was extremely faint, possibly due to the Black Whale’s trait as Shax mentioned, it was just enough to reveal the faint contours of the floor and walls.

“…It’s truly remarkable. Not only have you been chosen by two Demonic Gods, but you’re also managing the powers so well.”

“Don’t you also use powers?”

“Yes, but my ability to wield them is extremely limited. If I overuse them, I end up getting caught by the Power of Envy instead.”

“Well, surely the powers of higher gods are at a different level entirely.”

The power wielded by a Constellation was immense. Even being appointed as an Apostle, it usually took an incredibly long time to master the power.

Moreover, it was nearly impossible to fully wield the power of a higher god with a player’s body.

Compared to that, how was Se-woon?

He handled the Powers of Greed and Gluttony freely.

‘Well, this is slightly different due to other reasons.’

The Power of Greed that Se-woon wielded was one that had lost its owner in the world before regression.

Thanks to that, he could make it completely his own.

And the power of Gluttony…

-The Constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ wonders what the broth from Black Whale bones would taste like if simmered thoroughly.

…In any case, it was possible because Se-woon managed his relationship with Beelzebub well. Although, even then, he wasn’t handling that power perfectly at full capacity.

“Then, is the Leviathan’s true body present here?”

“No. She is so vast that she could wrap around the ocean completely, so she rests in the deepest part of the sea.”

“Is she that large? Even so, a Constellation shouldn’t have much trouble reducing the size of their body.”

“Simply maintaining a reduced size requires continuous energy. Since she lost much of her power upon being expelled from the Tower, she remains in her original form, resting in the deep sea.”

Leviathan, known as the Demon God of Envy, or the Serpent of Destruction. According to records, her size was said to be large enough to circle the perimeter of the Tower.

It seemed a bit exaggerated, but according to Shax, the records were actually understatements.

“Is that so? Then where are we heading now?”

“The Black Whale’s heart. It’s the only place permitted for communication with her.”

“What about meeting her directly?”

“Her dwelling in the deep sea is so profound that even we merfolk cannot endure it. You would be crushed by the pressure before even seeing her.”

“…Is that so.”

Indeed, one of the Seven Demon Gods. Even though she lost most of her power after being expelled from the Tower, she didn’t lose her dignity as a Constellation.

Engaged in conversation with Shax, they walked a long distance.

As they progressed, even the faint light disappeared, making the previously dim contours even more vague.

The interior of the Black Whale was as vast as it appeared from the outside.

With even the faintest outlines fading away, Se-woon was starting to wonder how Shax was guiding the path.

“It’s there.”

Thump, thump—

In the far darkness, a faint sign of life began to pulse.

The sound of a heartbeat—a sound that should never be heard in a place like this—echoed softly, and as they moved closer, a deep blue light radiated out.

“That… is…”

“It’s the heart of the Black Whale. The remaining remnant that the Constellation chose to preserve.”

– The Constellation, ‘Bowed Raven,’ glimmers his eyes.

– The Constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ gulps at the sight of the fresh whale heart.

It was more than just the shape of a heart. It was a treasure potent enough to explain Mammon’s desire for it.

Infused with Leviathan’s power, it could rightly be called a sacred relic.

Even the light-devouring bones of the Black Whale couldn’t absorb the deep blue glow emanating from the heart.

As they reached the front of the heart, the blue light engulfed them, creating the illusion that they weren’t inside the Black Whale’s body but in an entirely different space.

Thump, thump—

The heart, roughly the size of a human head.

Considering the original size of the Black Whale, it seemed absurdly small, but it had likely shrunk when it became a sacred object, infused with Leviathan’s power.

Yet the power it held was not diminished in the least. If anything, the strength of this heart seemed to surpass that of the original Black Whale’s.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

“…Yes, it is.”

Beautiful. That was exactly the right word.

Ordinarily, this would be the moment Mammon or Beelzebub would send a message, urging him to hand over the sacred relic. But both refrained, aware that it belonged to Leviathan. They could only admire it, without making any reckless demands.

“So, what do I do now?”

“Simply place your hand above the heart.”

Thump, thump!

Following Shax’s words, Se-woon placed his hand on the heart, and the heartbeat grew even more vivid.

Simply by laying his hand on it, he felt an intense connection to the heart, as if something was flowing into him.

“However, since the heart’s light has dimmed significantly recently, I’m not sure if contact will be made…”

Shax continued speaking nervously, but Se-woon no longer heard him.

A blue aura surged up from the heart, connecting to Se-woon and signaling one thing clearly:

The presence of the Demon of Jealousy, Leviathan.

Before long, a majestic voice began to echo in Se-woon’s mind.

– To pierce through my power and reach me… you are a rather capable human.

The voice wasn’t heard through his ears; it was as though sharp needles were stabbing into his temporal lobe.

“Ugh…”

An unbearable headache struck him.

The voice was as piercing as the pain—an unmistakable voice of a woman.

He hadn’t heard it before, but he knew instantly that this was the voice of Leviathan, the Demon of Jealousy.

I have to endure this.

He wasn’t even facing her true form; just hearing the voice of a weakened Celestial inflicted this much of a toll on him.

It was a clear reminder of the “difference in rank.”

But he couldn’t back down now. Gaining Leviathan’s allegiance was essential to furthering his plans.

Just as Se-woon steadied his resolve—

Flash!

A dark light began to radiate from the back of Se-woon’s right hand.

– The Stigma of Satyr responds to the godly presence (格).

– A part of the Constellation’s presence sealed within the Stigma awakens and resists the external presence.

– Oh?

The Stigma of Satyr.

Most of its abilities were sealed, and he thought that at the very least, it would be necessary to climb past the middle floors of the Tower to draw out its power, yet the seal on the Stigma had awakened much earlier than anticipated.

When the dark red light emanating from the Stigma enveloped Se-woon, the blue light from the heart weakened, and the headache gradually subsided.

-You’re merely a player in the tutorial stage, yet owning a Stigma! I see now why the raven and the pig took an interest in you.

-The Constellation, ‘Bowed Raven,’ furrows their brows at the snake’s rude words.

-The Constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ asks where the pig is, drooling and requesting a share.

Although Leviathan’s voice continued, the headache no longer occurred. However, mana and internal energy were rapidly draining through the Stigma.

At this rate, he’d last only about ten minutes.

He had to finish his conversation with Leviathan within that time.

“I am Jung Se-woon, a player currently in the tutorial.”

– I assume you’re already familiar with me, so introductions are unnecessary.

“Yes.”

– Then speak. Why have you gone to such reckless lengths to find me?

There was no need for formalities.

Perhaps Leviathan, like Se-woon, didn’t have much time to engage in this conversation.

According to Shax, Leviathan had grown severely weakened after being expelled from the Tower.

Still, true to her status as a Celestial, she remained powerful enough to easily kill an entity as formidable as the Black Whale.

“I’ve come to request the cooperation of the Demon God of Envy.”

– Cooperation, you say. So, you’re asking to become my Apostle?

“It’s similar. I want to gain the Demon God’s power to climb the Tower.”

– Similar, you say? You’re incredibly bold. Those two idiots probably gave you power without a proper contract, but I’m not that stupid.

-The Constellation, ‘Bowed Raven,’ glares at the snake, as if ready to peck it at any moment.

-The Constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ explains that it couldn’t be helped because the human cooks so well.

Indeed, it was a reaction he expected.

To be honest, it was a normal response. Asking to borrow power without even a contract as an Apostle on the first meeting was such a bold suggestion, it was almost ridiculous.

If the two other Constellations hadn’t been with Se-woon, she might have let out a snicker and immediately raised her presence to crush Se-woon’s mind.

But, reaching this point was already anticipated.

“In exchange.”

Se-woon pulled something from his Subspace Pouch.

– That is…!

As soon as he revealed the Gem of the Deep Sea, also known as Leviathan’s Orb, there was a tremor in the voice of Leviathan, as if it pierced his mind.

“I will return you, and the merfolk, to the Tower.”

“…!”

The moment Se-woon obtained the orb, the first proposal that came to his mind.

His proposal left Shax visibly astonished.

Though not visible, judging by the silence, it seemed Leviathan was reacting similarly.

—-
(T/N): LOL Leviathan is a woman, I thought she was a man like you know Poseidon haha ~