458 - Open Door #1

Paranoy growled.

"I command in the name of the Archduke of Hell-imnidat...! Quickly, cooperate with Pluto's son-nim on his journey-imnidat...!"

At that, Melinoe scoffed with a "Heung-".

━Pluto is a lonely man. He doesn't know how to love. Nothing can be born from death. I know that well-. A man like that having a son-. An impossible story-.

"Y-you are now denying Hassan-nim's very existence? This is blasphemy-imnidat...! This won't end with just a head-thump-imnidat...!"

Paranoy raged, claiming Melinoe should be hit with the Totem of Silence.

"According to the Hell Laws compiled by this Paranoy, blasphemy is the second gravest crime-! She must be given 30 strokes of the bastinado-imnidat...!"

Blasphemy.

Indeed, for believers in this world, it was truly the gravest crime. At his words, Luna, standing nearby, asked.

"If blasphemy is the second gravest crime, what's the gravest crime?"

"That hasn't been decided yet-imnidat...! Anyway, blasphemy is a grave sin-! Therefore, it is right to tie this fellow to the pillory and give her the bastinado-imnidat...!"

However, unlike Paranoy, who was fuming as if spitting fire, I felt rather calm.

This woman would know an aspect of my father that I don't, better than anyone.

According to Paranoy, Melinoe is Pluto's companion Nymph.

Like the relationship between me and Paranoy, or Luna and Doris, or Hippolyte and Ignoi, as a friend and errand-runner for the gods, she must have seen the gods up close more than anyone, so she would know a lot.

That's why she would claim to be Pluto's daughter.

I asked.

"Why do you call yourself Pluto's daughter? From what I heard, you're not blood-related."

At that, Melinoe bristled.

━Even if we're not blood-related! I know Pluto-nim better than anyone! His loneliness...! His sense of responsibility...! No one knows that better than me...!

Loneliness.

Sense of responsibility.

Those are words quite far removed from me.

━Pluto-nim is the loneliest person in this world...! That's why he was suited for the throne of Hell-. Because necromancy originates from loneliness. But Hassan, you're not like that-.

"Necromancy originates from loneliness?"

I didn't know that either.

Lately, I haven't had time to feel lonely.

Was it because of that my necromancy achievements weren't progressing at all?

Come to think of it, I seem to have heard something similar before. When Paranoy was very young, he had no friends or conversational partners, so he raised skeletons to play with.

A piercing sense of loneliness, to the extent of having to raise dry bones.

That seemed to be the source of necromancy.

Just then, Hippolyte crossed her arms as if she couldn't understand.

"But Melinoe, contrary to your words, Pluto got married and had a child. Here's the evidence right before your eyes. According to you, wouldn't it be right for a lonely being like Pluto not to have children?"

━Puhuhuhu-.

Just then, Melinoe burst into laughter as if she had heard something amusing.

━You really don't know anything.

At that, even I bristled a little.

"I'm asking because I don't know, aren't I?"

Shit, no matter how precious knowledge is treated in this world, if every bastard I meet teases me with "You don't know anything, Hassan," even I can't help but get angry.

Because it feels like they're whispering among themselves and ostracizing me.

Not knowing anything is truly fucking lonely in its own way.

"Don't just keep it to yourself, tell me too, please."

━Then I'll tell you. Bearing it will be your burden. And you're old enough to know now.

"Alright. Then I'm ready, so tell me."

━Do you know about Eros?

Eros-.

As far as I knew, it was like a massive energy source enveloping the Gaia continent.

Energy sources that contributed to the creation of the world, like Nyx of the night, Erebor of darkness, Nartaros of the abyss, and Gaia of the earth, Eros, a colossal being at the origin of the world.

However, to put it in terms that are easy to understand, it would be the emotion called 'love'.

Because this emotion of love existed as an important energy since the age of creation, living beings prosper, bear offspring, and evolve, or so they say?

That's all I knew.

Just then, Melinoe added.

━Eros's arrow, twisting the emotions of those hit by the arrow, the Protogenoi's curse that makes anyone fall in love-. Pluto fell victim to it.

At those words, Luna cried out in disbelief.

"Does that mean Pluto-nim, one of the Three Chief Deities, was hit by Eros's arrow and fell in love with someone!?"

━Yes. Pluto-nim, having received a curse, ended up marrying with manipulated emotions, a manipulated heart. This was an event not recorded in fate or providence-. It was a kind of accident.

Accident.

Those words shook my mind.

To understand it, Pluto, the King of the Underworld, fell under a curse and couldn't help but love someone.

And the one he met then was my mother, so in the end, I was born by a curse, meaning I was literally a child born thanks to an accident, wasn't I?

A shock ran through my chest, as if I had been told, "You're a child born from a drunken mistake-."

A life born due to a curse-.

━This is the evidence. I've kept it safe.

Melinoe opened her mouth with an "Ah-" and stuck out her tongue. On that fellow's tongue lay a golden, heart-shaped metal object.

I thought it was a pendant, but looking closely, rather than a pendant, it seemed more accurate to describe it as a sharp blade.

Holding it in her hand, Hippolyte, frowning, said.

"It's an arrowhead. Given the unusual aura I feel, it certainly seems to be Eros's arrowhead."

"May I see it for a moment?"

I received the arrowhead from Hippolyte.

The cool metallic sensation was strange.

This is Eros's arrowhead.

The medium of the curse?

According to Melinoe, it would mean I was born into this world because of this metal object. Thinking that, I felt very strange.

Hippolyte asked Melinoe.

"Who on earth would cast a curse on Pluto, one of the Three Chief Deities? I can't understand it. As a result, didn't a long winter descend upon Pluto, who kidnapped Kore, causing countless confusions...?"

However, Melinoe merely scoffed with a "Heung-".

━Well. It could be someone's conspiracy. Or it could have just started as a prank. Anyway, the important thing, Zigres, is that you were a being who shouldn't have been born.

"Hmm...."

"Hassan-nim, you mustn't listen-imnidat...! This fellow is trying to bewitch Hassan-nim with cunning Wicked Magic-imnidat...! It must be a lie-imnidat...!"

━I haven't told a single lie. Sometimes reality is more nightmarish than dreams. I merely told you the truth you wanted to hear.

"Hmm-."

My mind was working busily.

This was to process the flood of information that had come in all at once.

━Beyond the veil of darkness. In the Underworld, there might be many things you don't want to see. It's not too late to turn back now. Turn your steps, and return to where you belong, Hassan.

"Where I belong-."

Kkuu-uk.

In an instant, my thoughts were organized.

Where I belong, she says.

Where the hell is that?

I clenched my fists tightly and declared.

"I decide where I belong now. Oracles and curses don't matter. What do I care why or how I was born?"

━What?

And then, I spread my arms wide, as if shaking off all worries and complex thoughts, and shouted.

"Son of the King of the Underworld, or heir to chaos, what the hell do I care? Tell them all to go fuck themselves. I'm sick and tired of someone pulling my strings from above my head."

This other world I was dragged into against my will.

The sorrowful days of an illegal immigrant.

The sudden secret of my birth.

Beings who are all desperate to devour or exploit me-.

My will was not in any of this.

Now my will will exist in my heart, where it rightfully belongs.

I spat out my words with the feeling of severing all the things that had tormented me until now.

"You wicked beings, my fate is mine. So, show me that damn Door to the Underworld, or whatever it is. Whether I enter or not, I'll decide that-!"

A refreshing sensation surged through my mind, as if a waterfall had raged through it.

Although I hadn't even uttered a fragment of what I had wanted to say until now, just that made me feel a little refreshed inside.

But unlike my mind, which was cooling down, I felt the blood circulating throughout my body boiling hot.

No, to be precise, it wasn't blood, but the heat of instinct.

Like a newborn foal immediately taking its first steps.

Even without being taught by anyone, like Spiders building their webs.

I instinctively realized what I could do. What I could do, and what I had to do.

"By my authority, I command-! Doors, lift your heads-!"

Paaat━━!!

With my shout, the darkness that enveloped us began to recede.

As if wet fog was retreating from intense sunlight.

As if fallen raindrops were evaporating from intense heat, the darkness receded, and a slowly brightening landscape was revealed.

"W-what is it-! What's happening-!?"

Luna cried out, greatly flustered. Several torches, reflected in Luna's emerald eyes, also came into my sight.

What I saw first were torches standing at regular intervals. Behind them were cold, solid-looking stone walls-.

And finally, what was revealed before us was two massive chunks of iron, possessing a grandeur like colossal mountains.

It was a great Door.

Probably.

Above that great Door, large, massive letters were seen blazing like fire.

「Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.」

"...."

Everyone stopped speaking.

They merely stood with their mouths half-open at what they saw, unmoving, as if they had forgotten to even breathe. Then, the first to make a sound was Melinoe, who was sitting, bound all over.

━No way, to think he could forcibly summon the Door-.

Judging by Melinoe's reaction, I could tell.

That was the Door we had been searching for.

But even without Melinoe's reaction, I believe everyone would have known from the sheer power emanating from that colossal iron plate.

"T-this Paranoy just saw his life flash before his eyes-imnidat...! Oh my god, this is definitely the Door to the Underworld-imnidat...! I was so surprised I almost wet my pants a little-imnidat...!"

Paranoy trembled all over and retreated a few steps.

Beside such a Paranoy, Hippolyte, with her hand on her sword hilt, added in an uncharacteristically trembling voice.

"My goodness, I can't believe what I'm seeing. Honestly, I had my doubts-. But seeing this, I understand. The moment we cross that, we will literally head to the Underworld-, we must be prepared to die."

"So this is this continent's Helheim. It doesn't seem as barren as I thought. And it's a magnificent great Door-."

As Elfriede, Paranoy, and Hippolyte all voiced their impressions, my gaze suddenly turned to Luna's face.

"...."

Luna was looking up at the Door to the Underworld as if possessed by something. Her expression was dazed, like a Cat staring at a fish tank all day.

In her brilliant emerald eyes, the blazing torches flickered as if they were a great desire.

Just then, Melinoe spoke.

━But Hassan, you won't be able to open the Door as you are now. The seal of Protogenoi Erebor cannot be broken unless it's Erebor himself. Hassan, even if it's you.

What the hell, shit, is there a biometric device on the Door or something?

Is there a Door lock?

Seureuk-.

Just as I was having such thoughts, Luna raised her hand towards the air. And then she parted her lips and said something-.

━Erebor-.

Simultaneously, the ground shook violently, so I couldn't make out the words, but her lip movements clearly seemed to mention Erebor.

Goooooo-.

Of course, along with the intense bursting sound, because the Door was opening inwards, such things soon ceased to matter.

━What-? The Door is opening? Th-this is impossible-!? Erebor's seal should be active-!

Beonjjeok, Beonjjeok-.

What shone from inside that dark Door were six blue lights.

It didn't take long to realize that they were the eyes of a colossal and terrifying creature.

Jeolgeureok, Jeolgeureok-.

Along with the tremendous sound of Chains, that colossal presence soon began to reveal itself towards me.

This exact same experience.

Haven't I had it somewhere before?

Just then, someone grabbed my shoulder. It was Hippolyte.

"Hassan, this isn't the time to be so dazed! The strongest demon beast, the hellhound of Hell, will come to stop the intruders-!"

But it could be seen as too late.

Beyond the open Door's gap, a sharp, pointed, clawed foreleg had already stretched out.

━Keong-!