Even Today, the Ranker Dreams of Retirement

Once again, they were able to comfortably travel to the Demon Realm in Ipsine’s luxurious carriage.

Moreover, Ipsine belonged to a high-ranking demon family. Since their territory was close to the Demon King’s castle, the distance wasn’t too great.

The real problem arose after arriving at the Demon King’s castle.

‘Though the Demon God of Nothingness appeared differently each time, they always proved their identity by opening the door.’

This was the information gleaned from Ipsine’s conversation.

The meaning of these words only became clear upon reaching the Demon King’s castle.

“What?! The Demon God has arrived? Is this true?!”

When their carriage arrived at the Demon King’s castle and Ipsine confirmed their identity, the guards on duty uniformly knelt to greet them.

Seeing them immediately bow without any suspicion, Habin wore an uneasy expression.

‘What’s this? Is this it? Aren’t they going to do any checks?’

Why would they kneel without any inspection or verification if the visitor might not be the real Demon God?

Just as she was pondering this, the guard captain spoke up.

“The Demon God we’ve only heard of in legends… We’ll soon know if this is true. The exclusive passage prepared for the Demon God is over there. As always, you just need to open that door and enter.”

An exclusive passage for the Demon God, specially managed even within the Demon King’s castle. A massive door, the most lavishly decorated.

Above it floated this notification:

[The Demon God’s Test]

Those who dare commit the grave sin of impersonating the Demon God will be filtered out here.

Respect and envy to those who open the door.

Severe consequences await those who cannot.

The notification glimmered with an ominous blood-red color.

‘Hey, Hyun Habin… Look at that.’

Chae Jiseok nervously gestured towards the last line written under the notification.

[Warning! No entry for those below Level 9,999!]

◆◇◆◇◆

‘This can’t be.’

Jiseok hesitated after confirming the notification.

Level 9,999?

Until now, no human among Earth’s rankers had reached that level.

No, was it even possible to reach such a level in the first place?

Despite thinking this, Chae Jiseok asked Habin:

‘Habin, what’s your level? Should we run away now if you can’t do it? If it starts like this…’

‘Hmm.’

Habin glared at the door.

No entry for those below Level 9,999.

Habin didn’t know it, but she had already experienced something similar.

The window that appeared when she picked up Ahezar was exactly the same.

Players below Level 9,999,999,999… will be subject to ‘Divine Punishment-Instant Death’ upon viewing.

‘Let’s see, my current level is…’

Habin checked her level for the first time in a while.

[Status]

…

Level: Unable to confirm

…

‘So it says it’s systemically impossible to confirm.’

Then, when faced with such a restriction, how would an unconfirmable level be processed?

‘We’ll find out if we try.’

There was no need for lengthy deliberation. If it works, it works; if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. Surely she wouldn’t die, right?

Habin nonchalantly walked up to the door. Anyone watching would have thought she was striding confidently as if entering her own home.

Finally, as she grasped the doorknob.

The notification flickered.

[ Approach Level—–Severe error occurred—

erroor! roerro! error!!rrreorooeoreoorooeroeo!!!!!

Conditions satisfied, ㅁㅏㅅ;ㄴㅇML test eo passed!

The door opens!]

Creeeaaak…….

Watching the slowly opening door, Jiseok whispered to Habin once more.

‘Hyun Habin, can’t you be honest with me even now? Are you really the Demon God…?’

‘I told you I’m not?’

‘I really promise to keep it a secret. I won’t tell anyone!’

What’s this person going on about now?

‘Ah… I really am not…’

Habin replied sluggishly, as if annoyed, and glanced back at the door they had passed through.

A door that could be breached by an error regardless of level. Had the Demon God also used this error method to enter? Or were they really above Level 9,999?

As she was lost in thought, the nearby guards exclaimed:

“Heukk, it really is the Demon God.”

“Oh, what brings you here after five thousand years?”

Ipsine proudly shouted towards them:

“See? I told you it was the real Demon God! The Demon God has arrived!”

“……”

The guard captain bowed deeply to Habin once more.

“It is an honor to serve one we’ve only heard of in legends…”

He added hesitantly, watching her reaction:

“If I may be so bold… could you tell us why you’ve visited the Demon King’s castle?”

“Hmm…”

Habin tilted her head. The reason for visiting the Demon King’s castle.

‘I came to see our Jise-unni. And while I’m at it, to check if my classmate Taeseo is doing well.’

Originally, they had come out of concern for Chae Jise. But she couldn’t say that outright. Habin thought of another reason.

The conquest condition for the 50th floor.

It was to obtain the ‘Ring of the Demon God’.

And an auction for the ‘Ring of the Demon God’ was being held at the Demon King’s castle.

Habin spoke with a bored expression.

“…To retrieve my ring.”

“What?!”

◆◇◆◇◆

Meanwhile, they weren’t the only ones who had arrived at the Demon King’s castle.

The Demon King’s castle was lavishly decorated in a festive atmosphere, with glittering chandeliers and ornaments. There was even a variety of foods.

Amidst the grand ball, hunters including Hyun Siwoo and Chae Jise were hiding, suppressing their voices.

‘Everyone, please be careful and maintain your positions.’

Hyun Siwoo relayed to the nearby hunters. He too was wearing a masquerade mask.

Other hunters had also used items to disguise themselves as demons. However, half of them had to wait outside the Demon King’s castle as they couldn’t find guarantors.

Fortunately, Fides had managed to disguise himself as one of the servants assisting the Demon King of Avarice.

Jise had blended in with the Demon King of Sloth’s group, while Taeseo was with the Demon King of Pride’s entourage.

This was possible because the number of Demon King’s servants was incredibly large.

‘Let’s focus on not revealing our identities for now. We’ll wait until the ring comes up for auction.’

Before the auction, the curtain rose on a grand ball.

As they held their breath among the demons dancing here and there or elegantly eating food, suddenly:

Thud.

“Attention everyone! They have arrived!”

Murmur, murmur.

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the entrance. Such a stir usually occurred when a demon of Demon King level entered.

‘What’s going on? All the Demon Kings who were expected to come should have arrived by now.’

Hyun Siwoo furrowed his brow.

Other demons also craned their necks to see what was happening.

Half looked on blankly, while the other half covered their mouths in surprise. Whispers mixed with shock and fear settled among them.

‘…What’s happened?’

It was a tense moment for the infiltrated hunters.

“The legendary Demon God, the ‘Demon God of Nothingness’, has arrived at this Demon King’s castle for the first time in five thousand years!”

When the guard at the entrance finally shouted this, the impact was truly enormous.

“G-Good heavens!”

“It can’t be, to think they really existed.”

“I wonder what form they’ve taken.”

“I thought they only existed in legends!”

Murmur, murmur. Whisper, whisper.

‘What? The Demon God has come?’

Caught off guard by this unexpected news, Hyun Siwoo forgot to be cautious and turned his head along with everyone else.

He had studied the guidebook enough to know what the Demon God of Nothingness was.

The legendary Demon God appearing after five thousand years.

‘Neaiba!’

[I heard it too. What on earth is going on?!]

Hyun Siwoo and Neaiba had their reasons for being flustered.

‘This is strange. In my memory, nothing like this happened before the regression!’

Before the regression.

Back then, the Demon God had never appeared, not when they conquered the 50th floor, not even until the world’s end. That’s why Hyun Siwoo had dismissed the Demon God as just a legendary being.

When planning the 50th floor conquest, he hadn’t even considered the Demon God.

‘Things have gone wrong. This is bad.’

No, this wasn’t just a minor deviation. This was the worst variable that could completely overturn the future he knew.

‘Where did it all go wrong?’

Hyun Siwoo gripped his staff tightly.

As everyone tensed up.

“The Demon God enters!”

“Waaah!”

Hyun Siwoo, Kang Taeseo, and Chae Jise looked up. In the distance, they could see Habin, designated as the ‘Demon God’, striding across the hall.

“D-Demon God!”

“To think the Demon God would visit our humble Demon King’s castle! It’s an honor.”

“Perhaps something displeased you? We wonder what sudden matter brings you here…”

Habin, disguised as the ‘Demon God’, shrugged her shoulders.

“Hmm, I hear… you’re having an auction for my ring?”

“Heukk.”

“Honestly, I’m curious. I hear you’re all making a fuss, dancing and holding an auction with my ring.”

“……”

The demons tensed up, looking thoroughly guilty. Habin added another comment with a bored expression.

“You know, I rather liked that ring, so I’m thinking of taking it back. Just considering it.”

“……”

At that moment.

If not the other hunters, at least Kang Taeseo, Hyun Siwoo, and Chae Jise felt a sense of dissonance seeing Habin appear as the ‘Demon God’.

‘That Demon God, they look familiar…’

Hyun Siwoo and Chae Jiseok had used disguise items even around their masks, paying attention to their lower faces.

But Hyun Habin was wearing a party half-mask, leaving her lower face exposed.

That wasn’t all.

A commonly seen body type. A familiar gait.

Familiar gestures. Familiar speech patterns.

Kang Taeseo, Hyun Siwoo, and Chae Jise thought in turn:

‘Habin…?’

‘Huh, it’s Hyun Habin.’

‘Why is Habin here?’

While Kang Taeseo looked half-doubtful, Hyun Siwoo was different. He spoke to Neaiba with certainty.

‘That Demon God is 150% certainly Hyun Habin!’

[What? Suddenly?]

‘I can’t be mistaken!’

Hyun Siwoo wore a proud expression.

‘I’ve had this level of keen eye since I was young, you know?’

In the past, they often went on family outings to crowded places like department stores or amusement parks.

‘Siwoo! You’re the older brother, so you need to look after Habin well. Don’t lose her.’

A request he had heard countless times from his parents when he was young.

‘What about you, Mom and Dad?’

‘Of course we’ll look after you too, but there’s always the possibility of something happening. Habin is young now, and you’re the eldest, so…’

‘…Sheesh.’

Always going on about being the eldest. It’s burdensome.

At the time, Hyun Siwoo had made an annoyed face, but deep down he felt a sense of responsibility.

‘Hey, Hyun Habin, where were you?’

‘We need to go home now.’

‘Why didn’t you answer your phone!’

Even after they had grown up, there were times when he had to find his sister mixed in among crowds. Whether during family trips or moments like school graduations.

Because there had been a daily life where he could instantly spot that familiar back of the head even among countless people.

For Hyun Siwoo, this level of recognition was no big deal.

‘But why is Hyun Habin here?’

[Right? If your eyes are correct and that’s really Hyun Habin, that’s surprising in its own way! She’s impersonating the Demon God, of all things!]

‘As expected of Hyun Habin… Is she trying to engage in hunter activities while lying to us?’

Why would she do such a thing?

As Hyun Siwoo was wearing a serious expression at that moment.

There was another person lost in completely different thoughts.

‘Isn’t that Jiseok?’

It was Chae Jise.

[The constellation ‘Nearest Light’ is astonished, saying that’s definitely Chae Jiseok, wondering how on earth he got here!]

A constellation can’t help but recognize its contractor.

So if the constellation reacted this strongly, the Demon God’s confidant trailing behind must be 100% Chae Jiseok.

Chae Jise lowered her head, gritting her teeth to hold back laughter.

‘Look at these guys?’

So that Demon God is Hyun Habin, and the confidant is Chae Jiseok?

We barely managed to pretend to be Demon King’s subordinates, but they’re outright impersonating the Demon God.

They’re on a whole different level.

‘These gutsy rascals…’

Feeling strangely proud, she cleared her throat with a “Ahem, ahem.”