Having the Same Name as the Demon Lord of the Abyss

Having the Same Name as the Demon Lord of the Abyss

Pet? Food?

【 Successfully cleared the novice elimination.
Adding the demon’s reward.
100 magic crystals.
】

The red letters in the grey dialogue box slowly melted into the air.

Ye Zun looked at everything that was familiar and unfamiliar before him.
It was hard to conceal how dumbfounded he was.

After entering the door on the fourth floor, Ye Zun did leave that terrifying game, but he failed to return home.

Under the early morning sky, the wide and clear highway divided the city into two sides.

On the left was the wilderness, on the right were tall buildings.

On the rugged grassland in the wilderness, rows of food stalls were casually propped up.
The delicious aroma of barbecues and broth tempted many.

But what was puzzling, was that the owners of the vendors all had skinny appearances, wrinkled faces permanently stuck in a frown, like living zombies*.

[T/N: 人干: literally dry person, not sure what it meant but i assume zombies/mummies]

“Guests, buy some meat to eat ba, buy a little ba, it’s all fresh.”

Ye Zun, who stood in the middle of the rough terrain, looked incredibly out of place and immediately became the target of these vendors.

But they just stood cautiously in the small shacks.
No one stepped out, as if there was a beast prowling outside the shack.

With the fragrance of food, even if Ye Zun wasn’t a little bit hungry, his appetite couldn’t help but be aroused.
But these skinny shopkeepers seemed to be uninterested; when they were selling their goods, they didn’t have the same desire as people who wanted to make money.
It was as if they were being forced to do this.

While Ye Zun stared at the sorrowful old man, murmuring whispers came from far and near.

“This is a human ba, just like us.”

“How can it be the same? Look at how tender his skin is and how good his clothes are.
People who can still appear in public areas wearing such clothes, you can tell at a glance that they’re one of those pets raised by the nobles* to keep by their side.”

[T/N: 大人/big person: addressing a superior, but I’m not really sure what title I can use since Boss is a bit out of place]

“But he’s only one person, we can’t see if his owner is nearby.”

“How can those nobles appear in a vicinity near people like us? It’s impossible no matter how spoiled this pet is.
The owner must be waiting for him close by.”

“If he doesn’t return to his owner’s side, he will be caught by the guards on patrols and be treated as an escaped slave, then put back up to be re-sold ba.”

“Or maybe he’ll be taken in as food and eaten.
He looks far too fresh and healthy.
I gained half a catty yesterday and was so scared I didn’t dare to eat even a single bite of rice today.”

“Is he really a pet? He’s been standing here for a while ba, he hasn’t bought anything and no one’s following him.”

“The guards are coming, we’ll find out when they check.” 

Surrounded by these whispers, Ye Zun, who didn’t know anything, couldn’t help feeling nervous.

What were they talking about? Pets? food? What did they mean?

At first glance, this place looked to be somewhat similar to the city he lived in, but it seemed to be behind by several decades, and also like it had been destroyed by some war in the past, leaving everything deserted in the present.

On the road in the distance, a group of people slowly approached this area, wearing silver and white uniforms that were different from any brand of clothing Ye Zun knew.
These people’s appearances were all tall and upright.
It’s just that, on their foreheads, there were the black horns that all demons were said to have in myths.

Ye Zun watched them walk on the street like a law enforcement team.
Everyone parted for them, bowing their heads respectfully, as if they were saluting, as if they were afraid of being noticed.

Someone even took the initiative to step forward, nodding and bowing before pointing in Ye Zun’s direction while saying something.

At the vendor stall closest to Ye Zun, the distressed-looking old man handed Ye Zun the grilled meat in his hands.
“Take it ba, take it, all nobles’ pets love to eat this.
Don’t be scared, if you aren’t scared, you won’t be suspected.”

Ye Zun looked at him and pursed his lips slightly.
“I don’t have any cash.”

“Take it ba, it’s okay.” The old man wore a sorrowful expression and pressed the meat into his hands.
“Everyone’s lives are different.
Here, there aren’t many who will ever live well again.”

Ye Zun took the grilled meat.

The law enforcement team in the distance stared at him with eagle-like eyes, as if considering his identity.
Those looks were enough to sting one’s back.

“Eat ba, it’s good meat, if you eat it, you won’t be suspected anymore.”

Ye Zun restrained himself from looking at the law enforcement team who was currently staring at him in the distance, then took a bite of the barbecue in his hand.

Those people seemed to have made a judgment and retracted their gaze, continuing to move forward.
Only their head guard looked back at Ye Zun.

“Go ba,” the old man whispered, “Head west and avoid the ones in military uniforms, like the ones you saw just now.
They usually don’t go to the west.”

Ye Zun fumbled out a few crystals from his pocket.
According to the grey dialogue box, this was a reward for completing his novice trial.
It should be regarded as something with value.

Ye Zun handed the crystals to the old man who reminded him of his grandmother, giving him a nod before turning around and walking away in a haste.

The old man looked at the sparkling crystals in his palm, bewildered at first, then in disbelief, before finally showing a face so wild with joy he almost cried.
Then immediately afterwards, he trembled and suppressed that overjoyed expression, hiding it away along with the crystals as if he was afraid of being discovered by others.

Ye Zun was unaware of the surprise his crystals had brought to the old man.
Following the old man’s guidance, he walked westward along the road, spitting out the meat in his mouth as he left.

Although the meat was very fragrant, after being described as food by other humans, Ye Zun instinctively rejected the meat in his hands.

There were many people similar to Ye Zun along the way, all in a panic, as if they would be caught by something at any time.

There were also a few people who were very special, dressed in gorgeous and exaggerated outfits, walking in the middle of the street with a triumphant look, followed by a demon guard with the same horns as the ones before.

But the expressions these demon guards used to look at these people were aloof and remote*.
Their eyes were indifferent and contemptuous, not like how a bodyguard would look at their master, but rather, like they were looking down on their master’s unpleasant dog.

[T/N: looking down on; standing on a higher ground]

“Wei, are you a newcomer?” Suddenly, in a alley not far away, a strong looking man poked his head out, and while watching the surroundings vigilantly, he spoke to Ye Zun.

Ye Zun stood in place, watching him cautiously.

“Going by count, today’s batch of new players is only missing you.
Only newcomers dare to walk on the street so obviously.
Since it looks like you were lucky enough to not have run into the demon guards to be investigated, come with me ba.”

After he finished speaking, the other man didn’t care if Ye Zun followed or not, walking straight into the alley.

Ye Zun hesitated for a while, but still followed.

This world was too strange, he needed someone to tell him some basic information.

Walk to the end of the alley, turn right, and then to the end, turn right again.

He turned right for the last time, and in the next instant, two people jumped off the wall behind him, covering Ye Zun’s mouth and nose with a white towel.

Ye Zun’s eyes opened wide.
Before he could struggle, his entire body went soft.

Before he closed his eyes, there were more than ten people standing in front of him.

Except for a few obviously flinching and disturubed ones, there were at least a group of five men and women who stood confident and strong, inspecting the goods with picky eyes, indifferently watching Ye Zun being attacked.

“What are you doing?” A young woman spoke up with a frown.

The man who attacked Ye Zun put the unconscious Ye Zun on the ground and against the wall.
“This newcomer has very poor physical fitness.
It should’ve been a fluke for him to pass the novice trial.
He hasn’t wandered around the Demon God’s Amusement Park, but…he has a face even I find very handsome.
Hasn’t City Lord Alevei* always wanted a pet? While he’s still alive and before he dies in his next game, we can trade him in for a lot of magic crystals.” 

The woman hesitated rather obviously.
“Aren’t you afraid that he’ll gain status at Alevei’s and turn around to take revenge on us?” 

The man was nonchalant.
“With this player’s physical fitness, do you think he can pass the next game? Sending him to Alevei’s is saving his life.
Alevei is a good owner, at least better than those demons who eat their pets as food.
If Alevei likes him, he’ll at least live for two more copies.” 

The woman appeared worried.
“Although what you said is correct, but……”

“Then it’s settled.
For the other novice players, you can pick and choose, grade them according to their physical fitness and reaction ability, see who can be used.
When the others in the group clear customs and come back, we will agree on the magic crystal distribution and send this guy to the City Lord’s mansion.”

“Then, we’ll just leave him like this?” 

The man said confidently, “Don’t worry, there’s no problem.
He’ll be sleeping until they come back.”

It seemed that someone left and the others changed positions.

The woman cleared her throat and said to the other novice players in a serious tone, “Welcome to the Demon God’s Amusement Park.
As a veteran player who has experienced three levels of games, I will tell you the basic rules of this world next.”

“This place It’s called the Nightmare Border.
There are two kinds of people living here: ordinary humans and low-level demons.
Of course, for us outsiders, all of them can be treated as NPCs.”

“We are not the same as the humans here.
We are the guests chosen by the demons, invited to play in the amusement park.
The horror instance is one of the game activities in the amusement park…” 

As the surroundings slowly quietened.
The sleepiness caused by drugs made Ye Zun feel like he was drunk.
In a daze, he saw his grandma walking to his side, reproachfully poking a finger at his forehead.
Just like that, he suddenly woke up.

Ye Zun tried his best to open his eyelids.

Although he tried to hold his breath the first time he was attacked, he still inhaled a little bit of the drug.

While those people were explaining the rules of this world to the novice players, Ye Zun haggardly stood up against the wall, then headed west, swaying left and right.

“Sure enough, in this kind of world, I should be on guard against everyone.”

If it really was as good as those people say, why don’t they become pets themselves instead of choosing to play these horror games that kill people?

Only the sorrowful old man Ye Zun met at the beginning covered him, giving him the only goodwill.

When there was nowhere else to go, Ye Zun unconsciously followed the old man’s words and fled to the west, trying to escape as far as possible before those people notice and come chasing after him.

To the west of the city was a dense forest.
In Ye Zun’s memory, compared to the city in his reality, this area should be a cemetery, and the rest of the land was a mountain.

But now, this city was like something out of a twisted dream.
Deep in the woods, stood a towering church.

……

In the church, the multicoloured stained glass on the high ceiling depicted the kingdom of Heaven in great detail.

At the foremost, light projected in from the cross-shaped window on the wall, like a cross made by the gathering of holy light.

Rows of chairs were left empty under the holy light.
Only one person sat.

This person wore a slim and pressed long-sleeved shirt and long pants, with his buttons done up to the top of his Adam’s apple.
His whole body was covered in an abstinent pure black; only his neckline was adorned with a golden cross-shaped bronze embellishment, looking dignified and expensive.
He sat back on a chair, reading a book.

The man’s voice was elegant and low.
In the empty church, he recited slowly and steadily, “In the world ruled by the demons, if people at the bottom of the food chain wishes to survive this world, they will need to pay a corresponding price.
Smart people generally choose to offer sacrifices to the demons in exchange for the chance to live.”

“In this world, humans are divided into two categories: pets and food.
Sometimes, they occupy both identities at the same time.”

“Becoming a pet means giving up the right to be a human being; the owner who controls your life controls everything about you.
As for choosing to be food, there is still room for struggle, to choose what kind of food you will end up being.”

“Low-level food is like a piece of delicious meat, cooked and bought by others at will.
However, food is usually devoted to playing the games of the demons, becoming more temperamental and evolving, striving to turn itself into higher-quality food that can be enjoyed by the high-ranking demons.”

“Fear is the best condiment.”

“Your seven emotions and six desires born out of fear are the best offering to the demon.
If the demon is satisfied with the offering…”

Amidst that elegant and low voice, the single-hearted devotion, the slow recitation, a mist of cold and dark matter slowly condensed in the air behind the man, before finally forming into a demon towering at a height of two meters, with six pairs of wings made of bone and four heads.

All four heads of the demon rotated 180 degrees in unison, looking at him in tandem, opening their mouths to emit a grotesque and deep growl.

The man didn’t turn his head back.
He only raised a finger while the demon made those weird noises, lightly placing it on his own lips.
“Shh!“

His eyes were still focused, falling on the pages of the book in his hand.
With his previously established slow speed, he finished reading the last sentence: “If the demon is satisfied with the offering, and before finally being drained of the enjoyment you can provide, you can live forever.”

This time, he finished reading.

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