Jin-ho stirred from his sleep, pulled from dreams by distant sounds echoing through the ancient stone. His enhanced hearing picked up what sounded like rolling thunder, followed by the clash of metal against metal and other noises he couldn't identify.
He sat up in the ornate bed, disoriented. Without windows or natural light, he had no idea what time it was or how long he'd been sleeping. His internal clock had been completely thrown off since arriving in this world.
Jin-ho groaned, suddenly aware of a gnawing hunger. He'd forgotten he hadn't eaten anything since being transported here.
"What is that noise?" he asked aloud, sitting up on the bed.
"Horses," came a voice directly behind him.
Jin-ho launched himself away like a startled cat, but with his newfound powers, the result was catastrophic. He slammed into the wall with such force that he nearly demolished the entire room. Dark energy erupted from him in a shockwave, obliterating the elegant furniture. The ornate wardrobe exploded into splinters, marble nightstands cracked and crumbled, and deep fissures spread across the stone walls.
Jin-ho whirled to face the voice's source—someone sitting on the bed right where he'd been moments before.
The figure that rose from the destroyed bed made Jin-ho do a double-take.
Before him stood what appeared to be a human man, except for the horns. Dark, curved horns swept back from his head like those on Jin-ho's demon body, but everything else seemed perfectly human. He looked like a wealthy gentleman from Earth who'd somehow sprouted devil horns.
The stranger's attire was strikingly formal—a Victorian-style black suit jacket over a deep burgundy vest and dress shirt with a matching tie. The fabric seemed to shift between black and red as he moved, catching the light in unusual ways. His warm, tan skin suggested someone who'd spent years on tropical beaches, while his sharp features—strong jawline, defined cheekbones—were framed by long black hair pulled back in a low ponytail. Only his striking red eyes and those horns betrayed his otherworldly nature.
The contrast was jarring. Every demon Jin-ho had encountered so far had unusual skin, scales, or in one case, was literally made of water with a fish inside. This being looked like a devil who'd raided a Victorian gentleman's wardrobe.
The stranger burst into deep, belly-shaking laughter, tears forming in those red eyes. Something about that laugh sent chills through Jin-ho despite its apparent mirth. The sound was rich and resonant, yet it carried an undercurrent of danger that made his skin crawl.
Power radiated from this being in waves. Every instinct screamed at Jin-ho to bow, and his body nearly betrayed him by doing exactly that.
Still laughing, the stranger raised one hand and traced a circle in the air with his index finger. Immediately, the destroyed room began reconstructing itself. Furniture pieces flew back together, cracks sealed, and splinters reformed into solid wood. Jin-ho watched with a mixture of awe and envy as he sidestepped a large piece of dresser floating past him.
"W-who are you?" Jin-ho choked out. He thought no one else could enter this room—at least that's what the Demon God had said. The only being who should have access was the Demon God himself.
Jin-ho closed his eyes slowly, then opened them as the figure's laughter began to subside.
"Are you... the Demon God?" Jin-ho asked quietly—or at least he tried to. His voice came out at regular volume despite his attempt at discretion.
I really need to learn how to whisper in this body, he thought. I can't go around broadcasting everything to the world.
The stranger's grin widened as if he knew every secret in existence.
With a soft chuckle, he said, "How did you know? I'm so proud of you."
The Demon God had taken physical form. He leaned forward, rose up on his toes, and patted Jin-ho's head—as if Jin-ho didn't tower over him. Which was another oddity. Jin-ho could have sworn he was significantly taller, but now the Demon God was treating him like a child who'd just made a macaroni necklace for his mother.
"You're a smart one, aren't you," the Demon God stated. It wasn't a question, just a matter-of-fact observation.
Jin-ho found himself unable to respond. First from shock, then from having to interact with someone, and finally from confusion—why would the Demon God take human form? True, he had horns and red eyes, but everything else appeared completely human.
"Demons, it's been a long time since I was the big spoon," the Demon God said as he lowered himself to his normal height and began strolling around the room. His movements were impossibly smooth, as if he were gliding across the floor rather than walking.
Wait, big spoon? Jin-ho froze even more than he already had, realizing that this deity—the Demon God—had apparently cuddled with him. The situation was so absurd that Jin-ho almost barked out a laugh. He held it in, sensing that laughing at this particular being might have fatal consequences.
The Demon God turned and lowered himself into the large chair at the desk. As he sat, the chair seemed to adjust to fit him perfectly, despite the size difference. This constant defiance of physics and logic was giving Jin-ho a headache. He tried not to dwell on it—the Demon God was a deity, after all. He could bend reality as he pleased.
That thought gave Jin-ho an idea.
"Hey, if you can change things like this, why don't you just get rid of the humans yourself and reshape the world however you want?" Jin-ho asked. It seemed like the most logical solution.
The Demon God gave him a look that mothers reserved for children who hadn't listened the first time—one perfect eyebrow raised, the rest of his face radiating boredom.
"W-what?" Jin-ho stared for a moment before the memory clicked. "Oh, right. You can't interfere with humans or leave this room." He felt foolish for forgetting something so fundamental. Jin-ho never forgot important details like this. Perhaps his new body was affecting his memory, or maybe the stress was getting to him.
"There we are. I was starting to regret calling you smart," the Demon God said with a small grin.
Jin-ho suppressed a shudder. The Demon God's smile was undeniably handsome, but something predatory lurked beneath it—a casual acknowledgment that he could end Jin-ho's existence without effort. While he didn't seem the type to kill without reason, his entire demeanor radiated a clear message: cross me and die.
Jin-ho tried to smile but gave up before even trying. He looked at the Demon God for a second then said, "Why do you look mostly like a human? I would have guessed that the Demon God would look like… well… a demon and not a human."
The Demon God's expression shifted to something almost nostalgic. "My ex-lover always preferred this form. The Goddess found it more... appealing." He gestured to himself with a slight smirk. "I suppose old habits die hard. I simply never bothered changing back." He touched one of his horns absently. "Though I can't seem to get rid of these completely. Not that I particularly care to."
Jin-ho opened his mouth to ask another question, then caught himself. "You know what? Never mind. I don't want to know about your relationship issues. But why did you show yourself now, and not when I first entered this room?"
"Well, I would have, but I wanted to surprise you. It was better that way," the Demon God said, his lips twitching as he tried to suppress a smile.
"Yeah, it was the best surprise," Jin-ho deadpanned.
Jin-ho sighed and rubbed his face. The sounds that had woken him were growing louder.
"That noise is getting worse. You said horses, right? If it's horses, then why do I hear metal clashing and other sounds?" Jin-ho asked.
The Demon God's expression grew serious. "A human expedition. They're approaching the mountains. Your counterpart is among them."
"My counterpart?"
"The Hero. The Champion. The one summoned to oppose you. He is from the same planet that you are from."
Jin-ho felt his heart rate spike. Another person from Earth? Someone who might understand him? He moved toward the chamber entrance, drawn by the possibility of communicating with someone from his own world.
The Demon God moved to where a window might have been, though the wall remained solid stone. "They speak Human Valerian—the common tongue that split from our Demon Valerian over the centuries since the great divide. I can translate what demons say to you, but I cannot interpret the human tongue. The languages have diverged too much."
Jin-ho could almost hear his hopefulness falling off a building and dying right in front of him. He at least has to try. If it's a human from Earth, they might be able to speak some type of language that Jin-ho knows.
Jin-ho spent a lot of time teaching himself things. One of those things is different languages.
Jin-ho takes a deep breath then thinks twice before exhaling. Before leaving the Demon King's chambers, Jin-ho turned back to look at the Demon God. "It... it was good to see you. I'll come back again."
The Demon God simply waved him off, then turned his head with a grin.
Jin-ho started to leave, then glanced back quickly. "No more spooning." He left the room as the Demon God's laughter echoed behind him.
As he walked through the temple corridors, the sounds grew clearer. He could make out individual voices now, though the words were unclear—some foreign language that sounded vaguely familiar but remained incomprehensible. Jin-ho made a mental note that this must be the human version of the language on this planet.
Then he heard it.
"Set up a perimeter around the temple entrance. I want to know if anything moves in there before we go in."
Jin-ho's breath caught. His entire body froze as the words reached his ears and transformed into a language he understood.
English. Clear, unmistakable English with what sounded like an American accent.
He knew the Hero was from Earth, but hearing someone speak a language he actually understood felt like winning the lottery.
English was the most widely spoken language on Earth. While his wasn't perfect, he'd worked with enough international clients during his programming career to communicate effectively.
Excitement and hope surged through him. Finally, someone he could talk to. Someone who might understand what had happened to them both.
Without thinking, Jin-ho rushed toward what he remembered as the temple's main entrance, eager to reach the voice speaking his familiar language. His emotions ran high—relief, anticipation, desperation for human contact after days of isolation.
This time Jin-ho remembered not to run at full speed. The last thing he needed was to crash through another wall and hurt not only himself and others.
But as his feelings intensified, so did his power.
Before Jin-ho realized it, shadows coalesced into something solid and black, moving toward the entrance blocked by rocks. The shadows lashed out like massive, dark whips, slamming into the stones with explosive force. Smoke filled the hallway as Jin-ho jogged down it.
With his enhanced vision, he had no trouble seeing through the thick dust, though keeping his eyes open fully stung. Through squinted eyelids, he caught glimpses of bright sunlight filtering through trees and a multitude of small figures clad in various types of armor.
Jin-ho felt a surge of joy at the sight of actual humans but quickly refocused on regaining control over his strange powers. He noticed that some of the rocks had tumbled outside—most of them were strewn across the ground. The scent of fear and other emotions hit him all at once, mingling with the myriad other aromas of this world—and then there was blood. The overwhelming metallic smell nearly drowned out everything else around him.
The joy that Jin-ho had felt began to fade as he neared the entrance of the Void Chambers. The rocks he had shattered had struck several people, leading to more injuries than he could bear to think about. He had hoped maybe only one or two humans would be hurt, but the reality was much worse.
All around him, the frantic shouts and movements of soldiers came to a sudden stop as they turned their attention toward him.
Their stares pierced through him, hot and relentless like the midday sun. In that moment, he would have preferred to be crushed under those very rocks rather than endure the weight of their gazes.
A wave of hurt and regret washed over him; with so many eyes on him, he felt tears threatening to spill over. But no actual tears fell—just an overwhelming sensation echoing within him.
"Demons don't cry, idiot. Why shed tears when you need to kill these humans? Go ahead and put that sword to good use," chimed in the Demon God once again, his tone disturbingly cheerful.
Jin-ho didn't want to fight anyone. He still wore the armor from earlier, feeling out of place compared to the other Earthling soldiers around him. While he had only worn a groin cloth before, at least this armor offered some protection from prying eyes.
He opened his mouth to speak, yet no words came out. Time seemed to stretch; though only five seconds passed, everything unfolded in slow motion.
Then all at once, every human drew their swords with a collective clang that reverberated through Jin-ho's bones—a sound almost deafening in its intensity. Commands rang out amidst the chaos; then he heard it again:
"Get ready to fight!"
The English was unmistakably clear now, allowing Jin-ho to pinpoint its source.
One figure stood apart from the rest—his hair was nearly white but caught hints of gold under sunlight; his eyes were a striking light blue reminiscent of a clear sky. For a foreigner, he exuded rugged handsomeness that made Jin-ho feel even smaller; someone who wouldn't spare him a glance even if offered payment.
Jin-ho attempted to speak directly to this captivating stranger when suddenly several other humans surged forward with battle cries aimed at him.
Instinctively, Jin-ho did what came naturally: he curled into himself, tucking his arm protectively around his head while bending low enough for his torso to shield against whatever might come next.