Moderato… was killed… by such a mere brat?
She couldn't believe it.
A deafening drum of horror pounded in her head—thud, thump.
No, perhaps this was the sound of her own heart pounding.
Or perhaps, it was the echo of a dreadful premonition that she would never escape this seal artifact again.
'...…'
Artanis bit her peach-hued lip tightly within the seal artifact.
And she thought,
Stay calm.
There has to be a way.
If she thought hard enough, something would come to mind.
"..."
No.
Nothing came to mind.
From the very beginning, this seal artifact was a cursed artifact that Moderato had created by offering up his own heart as collateral. Therefore, it could only be undone by sacrificing his heart in return—a cruel and vicious artifact.
No matter how much she thought, no solution came to mind. The more she racked her brain, the deeper she sank into despair.
Her pupils trembled.
Meanwhile, Kim Jangcheol's gaze as he looked at her remained cool and steady.
'Artanis… the Witch of Melody…'
A name flashed through his mind.
In truth, he already knew who Artanis was. From the moment he rushed over after hearing the alarm and caught sight of her, he recognized her identity.
That was thanks to the nineteen times he had defeated her in the game.
"..."
Yeah.
He fought her a lot.
And died just as many times.
In the game, she was a challenge-type boss located in the outskirts of the 4th Star Master territory, hidden within a sealed ruin.
A so-called "Challenge Boss."
A character unrelated to the main story. Beating her wasn't required to reach the ending.
Instead, defeating her earned you an achievement sticker—just for the feat itself.
That was Artanis, the Witch of Melody from the previous generation of the demon race.
And she was hard.
Far more troublesome and diverse in patterns than even the Four Heavenly Kings or Star Masters from the main story. Her combat AI was insane—it could mix and adapt patterns on the spot.
But now…
'The version I fought inside the sealed ruin… wasn't like this at all.'
Kim Jangcheol glanced over at Artanis.
The way she stood behind the barrier—it was similar yet quite different from how she appeared in the game.
Her limbs weren't restrained.
'When she appeared as the sealed ruin's boss, she was wrapped up completely like a cocoon… her silver body tightly bound in chains. From that state, she would fling the chains around, inflict status effects, and if you got close, her hair would shoot out like blades and bind you… that kind of thing.'
But not now.
The chains that once cocooned her in the sealed ruin had transformed into a dress. She could move freely.
Only one detail remained the same—her iron mask, covering half her face below the eyes.
"..."
What would happen if he had to fight her now?
Honestly, he wasn't confident.
It was obvious that the version from the sealed ruin was a severely nerfed one. And he had died countless times just trying to challenge that version.
But now?
All her patterns are probably different. And the power she showed slamming that barrier earlier… plus, that pressure… whew.
It was no joke.
He was truly relieved there was a barrier between them.
"..."
Surely this barrier wouldn't suddenly shatter or anything… right?
Didn't seem like it.
Earlier, he had checked with his Bloodshot Eyes skill while Artanis was repeatedly striking the barrier, before revealing himself.
The result: safe and sound.
Even after enduring Artanis's flurry of blows, the barrier didn't show the slightest sign of cracking. That's why he felt safe enough to appear before her now.
It was at that moment—
Piercing through his brief thoughts, Artanis's question echoed into the air.
—Moderato was killed by your hand, you say. I see. Judging by the mark on your shoulder, you're not lying. Then allow me to ask one thing.
"…You don't really have to ask."
—...
"...."
—What did you do with his heart after killing him?
"Huh?"
—Moderato's heart.
"Uh… I dunno?"
—What?
"What would I have to do with that guy's heart or whatever…"
Kim Jangcheol scratched his chin as he answered.
At the same time, he felt puzzled.
Heart? What heart?
It was a rather random question.
The fact that this challenge boss, who should've been sealed away, had appeared here out of nowhere was strange enough—and now she was asking about the previous Demon King, Moderato?
What is this? Did she know the previous Demon King? Or did they have some kind of grudge?
Speculation and suspicion crossed his mind.
Then Artanis asked again.
—Then, are you saying no one has removed his heart?
"Yeah, probably not?"
—Then, what about his corpse?
"Don't know about that?"
—...
"Well, probably rotted somewhere. Or maybe some hungry folks snuck it away and took a bite or two… This place used to be kind of like that, you know?"
—....
Artanis was at a loss for words.
Despair and futility rushed in at once.
'Moderato, you bastard… after betraying me like that. After deceiving me like that. After doing all that just to reach the throne of the Demon King… in the end, this is how you ended? Pathetic. Truly pathetic.'
She was angry.
Moderato, the Tuner.
The one who had served her the longest.
The most loyal of her vassals.
Her most trusted right hand.
But in the end, he betrayed her with a cruel and elaborate trap. He had lured her and the other three loyalists into the Sealing Prison, locking them away.
And he had even offered up his own heart to fuel the sealing curse, so utterly thorough and cruel.
—...
She still remembered clearly.
Just before the exit of the Sealing Prison closed, she remembered the look on his face as he looked down on her, her whole body bound in chains—his gaze, and the mocking words he left her.
[If you're bored being trapped, maybe try counting numbers or something.]
'...'
Even now, thinking about it made her blood boil.
That was why she had come to hate numbers. Anything involving counting—she loathed it.
Unlike the other subordinates who were trapped with her, she never once counted the days while inside the Sealing Prison.
Instead, she had repeated Moderato's name countless times.
Swearing she would repay the price of his betrayal.
That no matter what, she would be the one to execute him.
But...…
'Moderato, you bastard… after doing all that to me… that's the pathetic end you met?'
It might've been better if he had lived well. If he had still acted arrogant and shameless. Then maybe she wouldn't have been this furious.
'...'
Vrrrrrrmmmm…!
Sensing its master's emotion, her dress responded. Dozens of chains, dangling from the dress like loose threads, all snapped up at once.
Like enraged vipers.
Seeking a place to vent their fury.
They surged forward in an instant.
CLANG—!
A shockwave burst between the chains and the barrier.
"...!"
Kim Jangcheol was startled and took a step back. Even as he did, dozens of Artanis's chains slammed into the barrier, carrying their master's wrath.
CLANG! BAM! CRASH! CRAKANG—!
It was sad, so sad.
With every swing of the chains.
With every instance of violence unleashed without purpose.
The sorrow deepened, and the directionless rage carved itself even deeper.
CHAKANG! BANG—!
The wildly thrashing chains.
Artanis's eyes watching them dimmed into gray.
She thought,
Where do I go now?
What should I do, having lost even my target of revenge?
'The throne…?'
No.
That would've been the old her.
At the very least, if Moderato had sat on the throne,
She could have found meaning in killing him and taking it back. That she had reclaimed what was once hers. That she had restored the dignity that had fallen to the ground.
But now, no longer.
CHHHRAAANG! BOOM! CRACK!
Now it felt real.
Time had passed meaninglessly.
Her target of vengeance was gone, and the abandoned land had forgotten her.
And she, now, could no longer sing her melody for all eternity.
A fate with her mouth sealed shut.
A punishment under the name of a curse.
If she could never remove this, what point was there in taking the throne?
BANG! CLATTER, CRINK—!
She struck, and struck again.
She stared at the chains flailing about.
And beyond them… she saw the current Demon King, kneeling, picking something up from the ground—?
'...'
What.
What is that brat doing?
Her lifeless gray eyes, dulled by rage and emptiness, flickered faintly.
She had seen it.
Kim Jangcheol's face, looking absolutely delighted, as he busily picked things up off the ground—just like someone scrounging up coins from the roadside.
...Pause.
Her chains stopped, sensing confusion.
And then Kim Jangcheol, who had been busy picking up something from the ground, peeked his head up and asked with a curious expression,
"Huh? You're not hitting the barrier anymore?"
—...
"You just hit it exactly nineteen times, by the way."
—...?
"One more hit would make it a nice, clean twenty. That'd be perfect."
—…...??
"So just one more, please, if you don't mind…"
KA-BOOM!
A strike landed, filled with more rage than any that came before, slamming into the barrier.
Kim Jangcheol beamed and bowed his head.
Then picked up something again.
"Wow, thank you so much. Lululu~"
—What… are you doing?
In the end, unable to take it anymore, she asked.
Kim Jangcheol answered while picking up translucent, jelly-like fragments from the ground.
"Oh, just picking up the stuff falling off, thanks to you. These little guys right here."
—....
Artanis glanced at the translucent shard Kim Jangcheol cheerfully held out.
And she recognized it.
—This is… a mana shard from the barrier?
"Wow, you got it right away. Yep, exactly."
—...
"Thanks to you hitting the barrier like crazy, it's been absorbing the shock and the inner layer is flaking off like dead skin, and these little bits are just popping right off. And they're totally…"
—…Totally?
"Perfect material for stuffing into farming cushion seats."
—Cushion…? Farming… cushion…?
"Yes."
—...
What even is that?
Artanis went blank.
Kim Jangcheol beamed as he continued.
"I didn't know either at first. But after seeing what's coming off the barrier—look at this—it's super firm, but also rubbery like jelly when you press it, and then it springs right back to shape when you let go. Isn't that just perfect?"
—...…..
"So, are you really not gonna hit it anymore?"
—What?
"The barrier, I mean."
—What in the…
"Since you've come this far, just a bit more would be great…"
—....
"I noticed just now, the more it gets hit and pieces come off, it keeps regenerating and restoring itself…"
—...….
"So you can go ahead and smack it all you want without worrying…"
—...….
Kim Jangcheol said with a shamelessly grinning face.
Honestly, this was an opportunity.
He still didn't know why the Witch of Melody had come here, and he could only guess there was some history between her and the former Demon King Moderato, but in the end, that wasn't what mattered to him.
These mana shards from the barrier—totally perfect for stuffing into farming cushions.
He could already see it in his mind.
Farming corps members with bright, happy faces, sweating under the sun, working hard with mana-cushioned farming seats strapped to their behinds—what a beautiful, fresh sight!
Which made him grin from ear to ear.
Kim Jangcheol's lips curled happily as he picked up another mana shard.
And thanks to that, as Artanis watched him…
She suddenly remembered, and realized, a small yet crucial truth—like fate.
'....'
Yes.
Moderato treasured his heart above all else.
Of course he did.
His heart was the very source of his power. All of his curses and authority stemmed from it.
Which means, perhaps even this barrier before her now—the one designed solely to stop her—was likely created from the power drawn from his heart.
That wretched power.
Drawn from the heart.
That power's shards—those mana fragments—were being picked up by that bratty Demon King without a care in the world. Cheerfully, without suffering any curse or backlash.
Which meant…
'The curse collateral that was bound to Moderato's heart… has been inherited by that brat's heart…'
A new hope to break her seal artifact.
Perhaps the only key, the only light.
The way Artanis looked at Kim Jangcheol had completely changed.
[T/L: I am not getting any support from webnovel platform, so please support me and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]