Devil’s Music

Alisher Usmanov stared blankly into the mesmerizing blue eyes until he suddenly began to sweat profusely. Unlike his sweating body, Usmanov, trembling as if cold, screamed and twisted on the floor.

"Argh!!"

As Usmanov rolled on the floor, Pyemon slightly smiled and said,

"What you see now is your future."

Alisher Usmanov struggled on the sandy floor of a desolate desert filled with red sand. As a sandstorm blew, a heap of sand entered his gaping mouth as he gasped for breath.

"Ugh! Cough, cough! Ptooey, ptooey!!"

Trying to regain his balance on the sandy surface, Usmanov finally stood up just as a massive sand dune in front of him sank deeper, like water cascading down a waterfall into an abyss. Amidst the falling sand, pits of flame and lava bubbled up, and countless naked people endlessly screamed as they were burned by the lava.

"Argh! Save me!"

"My body! My hair!!!"

Despite the burning lava touching them, the screams continued relentlessly, indicating the intense pain they felt. Watching them, Usmanov saw his own reflection: fat, naked, and catching his breath on a small rock in the lava with a resigned look in his eyes. A red shadow whipped him.

"Zap! Zap!!"

"Uh-huh! Uh-huh!"

Seeing himself in pain, Usmanov screamed,

"No! This is a dream! This can't be happening!"

While pulling his hair in despair, he saw a red ant emerging from the red sandy desert. Unbelievably large, the ant was the size of a human thumb. Still clutching his hair, Usmanov's mouth dropped open as countless ants climbed over his body.

"Aaargh!!! Aaaargh!!"

Flailing his arms, Usmanov fell to the ground as a massive number of ants covered him. A particularly large ant climbed to his face. His screams ceased as he convulsed and locked eyes with the ant, whose black eyes mirrored the sinister smile of a blonde young boy.

"How about it? Is it tolerable?"

With the boy's voice, the ants, the sandy desert, and the screaming people all vanished. Usmanov found himself in a serene garden with a cool breeze, quickly checking his body for abnormalities.

As he looked up and still saw Pyemon standing in the same spot, Usmanov felt an involuntary reverence for this undeniable being and knelt down.

"How can I avoid this fate?"

Approaching Usmanov, Pyemon gestured for him to stroke the mane of a white horse beside him and smiled.

"You can't escape it. It's the price for what you've done."

Tears welled up as Usmanov clutched Pyemon's leg,

"How can I avoid it? Please tell me!"

Pyemon glanced down at his leg and shrugged him off with a disgusted look.

"Do you know why kings and rich men, when they die, put gold or money in their graves? It's all bribery.

They knew better than anyone that they were going to hell and just wanted a slightly cooler place in the fires of hell."

Kneeling again, Usmanov pleaded,

"What kind of bribe should I prepare? Please tell me!"

Pyemon chuckled,

"Quick to surrender, good at shifting stances and quick to decide. You've got traits to succeed in the human world."

Usmanov, unable to lift his head from the overpowering aura of Pyemon, watched as Pyemon raised a finger.

"Make a deal."

Usmanov looked up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes, as Pyemon snapped his fingers.

"I can't do anything about you going to hell, but I can tell you about a bribe that'll work there. You must make a promise with me."

Bowing deeply, Usmanov shouted,

"Anything! Just tell me!"

Pyemon looked up at a third-floor window, pointing towards the room where Geon was sleeping.

"The children you've brought, if they are harmed even slightly, this contract is void. And I will personally ensure you suffer the most in hell."

Usmanov bowed repeatedly,

"I understand, I understand!"

Pointing at the third floor, Pyemon continued,

"Another thing, there's someone up there so precious to someone much greater than you could ever fathom. Treat them with the utmost respect."

Glancing at the third floor, Usmanov asked,

"Exactly who..."

Pyemon smirked and pocketed his hands.

"I think I've given a lowly one like you enough information. Normally, I'd erase a human's memory after an encounter, but your rotten mind might as well keep this memory. Remember, breaking this contract turns your visions into immediate reality

."

As Pyemon faded away, dawn broke, and sunlight streamed in front of the horse stables. Stunned, Usmanov suddenly stood up and shouted,

"Butler! Butler!!!"

Startled by the early morning call, the half-dressed butler opened the window. Seeing Usmanov's distressed state, he rushed outside exclaiming,

"What on earth happened?"

Covered in sweat, Usmanov frantically waved his hands,

"Gold, buy gold, find a route to purchase it immediately!"

The butler stooped and asked,

"How much should we purchase?"

Clenching his fist, Usmanov responded,

"Convert all my assets. Sell off stocks later, but use all available cash to buy gold!"

The shocked butler bowed again and turned to return to the mansion, but Usmanov stopped him,

"Butler!"

As the butler turned back, Usmanov instructed,

"Make sure the purchase is through legal routes."

"But that will be more expensive, including taxes."

"Yes, pay all the taxes. Buy at the market rate."

"Uh… yes, understood."

"And, treat the guests on the third floor with state honors."

"State honors, sir? Aren't they just musicians…"

"Just do as I say!"

"Yes, yes!!! Oh, understood!"

Flustered by Usmanov's stern voice, the butler hurried back to the mansion to relay the frantic orders to the servants. Usmanov, watching a lone horse play, wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked up at the third floor.

'I don't know who is up there, but I must treat everyone with the utmost respect to ensure I end up in the least hot part of hell!'

Two hours later.

Byungjun, having to report on today's soccer game performance at the company, got up a bit earlier than usual, scratching his bird's-nest hair as he stepped out of his room.

"Ah, it's a hassle finding the bathroom in such a big house."

Muttering softly and still groggy, Byungjun stumbled toward the bathroom but was startled by people standing next to him.

"Whoa! You scared me!"

Byungjun saw three maids standing demurely beside his room door. Surprised by their presence, none of the maids laughed but one calmly asked,

"Are you looking for the bathroom?"

After Byungjun nodded, the maid stepped forward and said,

"This way."

"Oh, thank… thank you."

Following the maid, Byungjun glanced back at the other two still waiting outside his room.

'What time is it that they are waiting outside the rooms? Ah, Kevin and Shizuka's rooms too?'

Byungjun noticed maids standing in groups of three outside the rooms of Kevin, Shizuka, and Geon, all bowing deeply as they made eye contact with him. Embarrassed, Byungjun returned their bows and arrived at the bathroom, where the maid opened the door for him,

"We'll wait outside if you need anything."

"Outside? But… the sound…"

"If it bothers you, we can stand further away."

"Ah… yes, please."

As the maid closed the bathroom door, Byungjun adjusted his hair in the mirror, puzzled,

"What's going on? It wasn't like this yesterday. How did everything change overnight?"

After using the bathroom, Byungjun walked back to his room with the waiting maid. Noticing Kevin's door ajar, he peeked inside to see Kevin, still sleepy, sitting up in bed while a maid held a basin of water for him and another wiped his face.

"Phew! Kevin, what are you doing?"

Enjoying the maid's assistance, Kevin turned to Byungjun and chuckled,

"I don't know, but it feels good. Kekeke."

>

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