Chapter 216: Encounter with Yankoun (1)

Ian, who discovered the item with the name 'Slave Contract', rounded both of his eyes.

'What the hell? A slave contract?'

Ian looked around at his surroundings again.

'At a slave marketplace, the tower that's in front of my eyes somehow has a prison-like feeling... By any chance, will I be able to form a contract with Yankoun as my slave just like this and shove him around?'

However, he thought about it again and realized that wouldn't be the case.

'If Yankoun had dropped to a slave class, there's no way that Heiska, a Common Devil, would have shown respect towards him.'

Ian firstly opened the Slave Contract item and checked the information.

• Slave Contract

Classification: Miscellaneous goods

Rank: Rare

Durability: 50/50

The biggest slave marketplace in the Devildom exists in the central plaza of the City of Rage.

In order to contract slaves in the slave marketplace of the Devildom, one must have a Devildom class that is at least a High-rank Devil.

However, if you have this slave contract, you can obtain the authority to contract one slave once no matter your Devildom class.

*In the case that the user's Devildom class is a High-rank Devil or higher, the cost to contract one slave once will be reduced by half.

*This is an item belonging to user 'Ian'.

It cannot be transferred or sold to another user, and even if the character dies, it will not be dropped.

(Can be transferred only once initially.)

'Hmm... Right now, when I don't even know exactly what kind of content this slave content is, it seems like it's an item I'll just have to keep for now.'

This was a conditional account-bound item.

In other words, it was a bound item that could be transferred once, but with Ian's personality, there was no way that he would sell or transfer an item that he had obtained for the first time to someone.

'Firstly, top priority is finding Yankoun.'

The Tower of Punishment was, as Ian expected, a place where the word 'prison' suited it the most, and inside the tower, tons of prisoners of the Devildom filled the prison to the brim.

Ian looked around the inside of the Tower of Punishment as he walked slowly.

Because Yankoun's outer appearance was so unique, just as long as he was in a visible area, he was certain that he would stand out to him.

However, 30 minutes later, Ian was able to realize that such a decision was an incredibly wrong choice.

'Euh... Why are there so many convicts?'

Ian eventually gave up on looking for him on his own, and he approached a prison guard that was dozing off in the corner and held out his Premium Seal of the Devil as he struck up a conversation.

"Uh... I'm looking for 'Yankoun', by any chance, do you know where he is?"

The guard, who was startled at Ian's words, wiped away the saliva that was dripping from the corner of his mouth as he replied hurriedly.

"If it's Sir Yankoun you're looking for, he will be in the central prison on the 10th floor."

At the guard's response, Ian wore a puzzled expression.

'What the hell? Exactly what kind of situation is this, where a guard is using an honorific title to a prisoner?'

However, whatever the situation was, as he was certain that all of his curiosities would be solved once he met Yankoun, after Ian nodded his head, he walked quickly.

"Thank you. Then, I'll be off."

Because he had already gotten to the 6th floor while looking around the tower for 30 minutes, he just needed to go up 4 floors in order to get to the 10th one.

The footsteps of Ian, who went up the stairs, grew faster and faster.

"Keuhahahat, humans! You're quite strong for humans!"

Like a rhino's horns, large wing bones were bent in a long manner in both directions on either shoulder joint.

There was a largely-built devil with dark red skin all over its body as fire arose here and there.

'Selakuma' scowled towards the five users that were in front of him.

"Huff, huff... At this point, shouldn't it be time for you to give up? You are not enough to be our opponent."

The one standing at the frontmost, aiming his long spear towards Selakuma, was Ceilron, who was famous for his hidden class called 'Blazing Knight'.

Also, the users that stood behind him were all top-ranking players of the Korean Kailan server whose names were distinguished as well.

Especially, Shyakran and Remir, who stood right behind Ceilron, were top-level users that were known to be within the top five when it came to their fighting power.

And Selakuma, the one that this ultraluxe fighting power was facing with their combined strength, was the chief gatekeeper of the Devildom that was guarding Zone 110.

• Chief Gatekeeper of the Devildom (Twelve Chosen Generals) Selakuma/Level: 360

Selakuma's level was at 360, 10 levels higher than Yankoun's level, and he was a strong opponent to the point that five rankers within lv 180-190 needed to use all of their strength in order to face him.

However, at the end of the intense battle that lasted over 3 hours, Selakuma's Vitality was eventually completely used up.

For a moment, Selakuma glared at the party before he slowly opened his mouth.

"Alright, I will acknowledge you. You have the right to enter inside of here."

Selakuma wore a slightly furious expression.

However, Remir, who had been quiet up until now, asked Selakuma.

"Saying that we have deserved the 'right' to enter inside of Zone 110..."

Seeing Remir's fingertips, which flared up with flames, Ceilron spoke to her with a slightly flustered expression.

"Remir, what's wrong?"

Remir responded with a cold expression.

"Wait a moment."

And taking large strides, she approached Selakuma one step at a time.

"If I kill you here right now, what would happen? If I kill you anyways, we will be able to pass through here, and we'll be able to obtain an enormous amount of Fame as well..."

After hearing Remir's words, one corner of Shyakran's mouth curled upwards.

'I hadn't thought that far... As expected, Remir, she's no ordinary person.'

The party watched Remir and Selakuma's conversation with interested expressions, and Selakuma's conversation continued.

"Well, then, I don't care if you even fight to the end with me."

Even at Remir's threat, Selakuma's tone was unexpectedly composed.

"Like you said, if it continues like this, the one that would be defeated would definitely be me, not you, and having succeeded in killing me, you would be able to obtain an enormous amount of Fame and rewards."

Selakuma passively acknowledged Remir's words, but this wasn't the end of his words.

"However, you will have to think carefully about which side this is an advantage for. If you kill me, a different chief gatekeeper will be newly appointed in order to guard this portal, and at the latest, they will start to guard this place again within a week. Then in order to pass through here, you will have no choice but to battle them again."

"...!"

At Selakuma's unexpected words, Remir's large eyes rounded.

"Well then, what will you do, daring lady? Will you have a battle with me until the end? Then I will face you with all the power I have as well."

Along with his response, Selakuma's Devil Energy began to blaze up powerfully around him.

Ceilron, who stood in the back, quickly called Remir.

"Remir, by the looks of it, there is a lot to lose if we fight until the end with him."

Remir narrowed her eyes as she asked.

"Why's that? Of course, the fact that we have to face another chief gatekeeper the next time is a little annoying, but we don't know what kind of reward we would receive from someone that's a chief gatekeeper of the Devildom. Even if it's cumbersome, killing this one and making a new party the next time to hunt once more..."

Shyakran, who just watched them without a word, abruptly butt into their conversation.

"That's not the case, Remir. Just like what Ceilron said, ending it off here this time and passing through seems like it will be an advantage to us in multiple ways."

Remir turned her head towards Shyakran as she spoke.

"Could you explain why that would be the case?"

Shyakran nodded his head as he replied.

"If you just think of the immediate advantage, just as you said, Remir, it might be better to catch him and obtain a reward. However, we must consider our relative advantage as well."

"Our relative advantage?"

Shyakran's words continued.

"That's right. If we leave him just as is here right now and go, Zone 110 will become a place that no other user besides us will be able to go through for a while. If other users were to create a party excluding the rankers that are here right now, a fighting power strong enough to face Selakuma will not form easily."

At Shyakran's explanation, Remir slowly nodded her head.

"Hmm... I was short-minded. Relative advantage... It's certainly an important aspect."

The passing or failing of getting through Zone 110 was especially more important than Zone 120.

This was because the first city that could be encountered in the Devildom, the 'City of Rage', was settled in Zone 100.

As the information that the City of Rage was in Zone 100 was a part that was officially mentioned in the patch note from LB Corp. already, it was a fact the party all knew about.

Remir, who gathered the opinions of the party, turned her head towards Selakuma as she opened her mouth.

"Alright, we will end the battle here like you said."

Selakuma grinned as he replied.

"Good idea. That is an excellent decision that's beneficial to both you and me."

Remir nodded her head as she replied.

"Let's think that this is a win-win for the both of us."

At the same time as that, a system message that the party was waiting for popped up in front of their eyes.

• You are the first to have won with the chief gatekeeper guarding Zone 110 as your opponent.

• You have obtained 400 thousand Fame.

• From now on, while 'Selakuma', a chief gatekeeper of the Devildom, is guarding the gateway, you can use the portal of Zone 110 as you wish.

The corners of Remir's mouth curled upwards.

'Alright.'

The five users that had finished their successful deal with Selakuma like that walked towards the portal that was open towards Zone 109 without hesitation.

And Remir quietly opened her mouth towards someone as if she was whispering and spoke to herself.

"Cassandra, what about this time? This time I've definitely passed through this place before 'them', right?"

Along with Remir's mumbling, a white flame burned from her palm before a round sphere appeared floating.

And Cassandra, who showed her face within it, grinned as she replied.

• Who knows. That could be the case, it could not.

The face of Remir, who definitely thought that she was the first this time, immediately twisted.

"What the hell? How is that possible? I've even checked that we've received the message that we were 'the first' to have won with the chief gatekeeper guarding Zone 110 as our opponent this time, too."

Cassandra wagged her finger as she answered.

• Of course, your party is the first to have won against Selakuma. However, if they have the 'Premium Seal of the Devil', that's a different story.

Remir stepped foot into the portal door that was headed towards Zone 109 as she continued her words.

"'Premium Seal of the Devil'? What's that?"

• Simply put, it's an item that allows you to receive treatment from the High-rank Devils of the Devil race. If you have that, you can freely pass through the sections that chief gatekeepers with High-rank Devil ranks or lower guard.

"...?"

• If in the case that 'they' have received the Premium Seal of the Devil from Yankoun, they would have just been able to pass through Zone 110 freely.

Whoong-.

As they passed through the portal and entered Zone 109, the party noisily chattered as they were busy complimenting each other's hard work and celebrating the fact that they were the first(?) to have stepped foot into Zone 109.

However, Remir couldn't do that.

"Why are you telling me this now? Then if we were to have killed Selakuma as well, wouldn't we have also been able to receive the thing called the Premium Seal of the Devil?"

Cassandra shook her head as she replied.

• No, if that was the case, I would have given that tip to you beforehand. The Premium Seal of the Devil isn't something you can obtain that easily. If you wanted to obtain the seal from Selakuma, you need to obtain complete acknowledgement from him.

"...?"

Cassandra grinned as she added on.

• You would have had to at least obtain a perfect victory in a 1:1 battle in order to receive acknowledgement from him.