Chapter 41: The Burden of Eternity
(Part 1 – The Weight of Hell's Hierarchy)
---
The Walls That Hold My Story
The walls of my cave hold memories. Etched in stone, scratched by my own hands, carved by the passing of time.
At first, I did it to keep track of the days. A habit carried over from my old life. Back when time still mattered.
Now?
I don't even know why I keep doing it.
The marks stretch far—too far. A testament to years, decades, centuries. A thousand years of survival in this abyss.
But there's something else on these walls. Something far more important than the days I've lost.
The Hierarchy of Hell.
Scrawled in jagged lines of charcoal and blood. A web of power, suffering, and merciless order.
I stand in front of it now, my fingers tracing the crude sketches—monsters, tyrants, gods.
The rulers of this realm.
The ones above me.
---
Naming My Own Enemies
I exhale through my nose, rubbing my temple.
"You know what the funniest part is?" I mutter to no one. "I don't even know if these names are real."
I glance at the Demon Gods I've carved into the top of the hierarchy. Their names? A mix of mythology, anime, and every overpowered villain I've ever seen in manhwa.
I snort.
"What else was I supposed to call them?" I ask the empty cave. "No one here tells me anything. The demons don't talk. They just scream, eat, or kill."
I tap the names with my bloodstained fingers.
Lucifer. Baal. Beelzebub.
"Are they even real?" I wonder aloud. "Or did I just project my dumb isekai knowledge onto Hell?"
I let out a hollow chuckle.
"Maybe Hell's actual rulers have stupid names like 'Greg' or 'Steve'—and here I am, acting like I'm in some dark fantasy novel."
The thought is ridiculous.
But what else can I do?
When you're alone for a thousand years, you start making things up just to stay sane.
---
The Lords of Suffering
I slide my hand down, reaching the next level.
"The Demon Kings," I murmur. "Rulers of entire territories, lords of pain and suffering."
I pause, rolling my shoulders, feeling the hardened muscle beneath my skin.
"They think they're untouchable," I continue, voice dropping lower. "They think they can rule forever."
A grin creeps onto my face.
"…But nothing stays at the top forever."
My voice echoes in the cave.
I sigh and lean against the wall, staring up at my own carvings.
"Am I insane?" I ask no one in particular. "Seriously. Am I losing it?"
My own voice answers me, whispering from the darkest parts of my mind.
Of course, you are.
You've been alone for a thousand years.
And yet, you keep talking. Like a madman trying to convince himself he's still sane.
I squeeze my eyes shut.
"No," I mutter. "I'm not insane."
I push away from the wall, shaking my head.
"I'm just… preparing."
---
The Monsters Below the Thrones
I continue my work, my fingers dragging across the next level.
"Archdemons," I mutter. "The manipulators. The schemers. The ones who pull the strings beneath the Kings."
I tap a name—one I've only recently learned through whispered rumors carried by the dying.
Asmodeus.
"The Demon of Lust," I say. "Apparently, he controls an empire of indulgence and excess."
I snort.
"I'd love to see how he would handle living down here."
No pleasure. No luxury. Just pain and survival.
I move my hand down further.
The Greater Demons. The executioners. The ones that enforce suffering.
I clench my jaw.
I know them all too well.
Cyclops. Hell Serpents. Baphomets.
I've seen them in the distance, tearing apart weaker creatures, feasting on their screams.
One day…
One day, I'll tear them apart.
---
A Reality I Refuse to Accept
I step back, looking at the whole thing.
A carefully structured empire of suffering.
An unbreakable system of power and control.
And at the very, very bottom—
I see a single, pathetic figure.
Me.
I swallow.
I let out a shaky breath.
"No," I whisper.
My fingers dig into my palms.
I refuse to be at the bottom.
I refuse to let this world define me.
I refuse to let them win.
I turn my back on the wall, my body tense, my mind sharper than ever.
I will climb this goddamn hierarchy.
I will make this world acknowledge me.
And when I reach the top…
I will burn it all down.