Now the snake had climbed down from my shoulder. It sat on my bed—calm, steady, as if this place had belonged to it from the very beginning. I was standing in front of it, holding my ring in my hand, and without any hurry, it began explaining Hallowed to me. It made one thing clear from the start—"First understand this," its voice was deep, "what Hallowed actually are." It paused for a moment. Then said—"If an object, place, or creature starts breaking the fundamental laws of the world—like reality, physics, logic, time, biology, chemistry…and sanity—then it is called a Hallowed." Its words sank deep into me. "And such things are given the status of Hallowed," it continued. "And Hallowed are not just one kind. They are divided into ranks and classes—based on how dangerous a particular Hallowed is."
I listened carefully. It said—"The very first class is Anchored Class." "Anchored Class Hallowed," it explained, "are those that can be controlled. They are harmful, yes, but they can be managed." Then it gave an example. "Like—Anchored Class Hallowed 125: Den." Meaning—me and my species. As soon as it said that, something stirred inside me. "Den?" I immediately said, "So is your name Den?" The snake looked at me. Then a faint smile appeared on its face. "No," it said, "that is not my name." It straightened itself slightly. "Den is the name of my species. Our species is addressed by our species-name itself." Then it added calmly—"So you can call me Den. But remember—this is not my real name." A faint chill spread through the room once again. I understood—the snake standing before me was not just a talking snake. It was…something else entirely.
It paused for a moment and looked at me. Then it continued speaking. "After that," its voice grew slightly heavier, "comes the second class—Fluctuant Class." "Understanding and knowing Fluctuant Class—both are difficult," it said. "Anything that falls into this category…any object or any creature—always demands a very heavy cost." It continued explaining—"If we talk about Anchored Class, then the objects and creatures in that category do not have very complicated contracts." "Most of the time," it said while looking at me, "they either want a very small reward in return…or sometimes nothing at all." Its voice echoed in the room. "But Fluctuant Class…" it leaned slightly forward, "that is different." "Creatures and objects of the Fluctuant Class always demand a very heavy price from their user." Then it gave an example. "Like—Fluctuant Class–98: Golden Lake." The moment it said that name, my hair stood on end. "The ability of Golden Lake is this," it said, "if any living thing is put into it—" Its voice lowered. "That lake turns it into gold." I unconsciously held my breath. A living being…turned directly into gold. At that moment, I understood clearly—Fluctuant Class is not just dangerous. It…does not let a person remain human at all.
I was still standing near the bed, listening carefully to Den. After a short pause, it spoke again. "And the final class is—Cataclysmic Class." Its voice had automatically become more serious. "This class…is a threat even to gods. Controlling these Hallowed is almost impossible for low-tier Paragons. In fact, a normal Paragon does not even have the qualification to approach them." I took a light breath. Den continued, "I myself don't know much about this class. I've only heard about one Cataclysmic Class Hallowed…that once belonged to the Demon Lord." My eyebrows tightened on their own. "That object is only known for one thing—it was a Hunter. A Hallowed that could absorb even the life energy of gods." It shook its head. "That's all the information I have."
But the moment I heard the name Demon Lord…a faint, curiosity-filled smile appeared on my lips. Almost jokingly, I asked, "So…Demon Lords exist in this world too?" Den looked at me. "Yes," it said casually. "You are still new to the world of Paragons. As you move forward, you'll learn many things." Then suddenly it stopped. Its red eyes fixed on me. "One moment," it said slowly, "you just said—in this world too?" My heartbeat skipped for a second. "Do you know about Demon Lords in some other world as well?" I panicked slightly. For a few seconds, my mind went blank…then I quickly fabricated a lie. "N-no," I said hurriedly, "I just…read a book. It talked about a Demon Lord. It was…a fictional story from another world." Den stared at me for a few moments. Then it said, "Oh…you were talking about a book?" I immediately nodded. "Yes." Den didn't say much after that. And I sighed in relief internally. Good thing…I lied at the right time. Otherwise, it would have suspected my real world. And my cover would've been blown.
But one thing shook me deeply. Unbelievable…Demon Lords truly exist in this world. I looked at Den again. "So…" I asked hesitantly, "can I ever…face a Demon Lord?" Den looked at me as if I had asked a childish question. Then it chuckled lightly. "Don't worry," it said, "you won't be able to." "A Demon Lord is born once every 800 to 1000 years." My eyes widened. "If my estimate is correct," Den continued, "only about 350 years have passed since the last Demon Lord appeared." It looked at me. "That means…you'll have to wait at least another 500 to 600 years to even see a Demon Lord." I let out a small laugh. So that dream ends right here…
But then another question rose in my mind. "Tell me one thing," I asked, "why does it take so long for a Demon Lord to be born?" Den took a deep breath. "Because a Demon Lord…is not a person." It paused. "He is an Era." A faint shiver ran through my body. "In his Era," Den said, "terrifying destruction occurs. The entire world shakes." "Then some Heroes are born," it continued, "and together they defeat the Demon Lord." "After that, his Era ends." Den lightly tapped its tail on the bed. "This entire loop…was created by the gods themselves." "That is why, roughly every 1000 years, a new Demon Lord is born." I listened silently. "And one more thing," Den added, "it is not necessary that the Demon Lord is the strongest creature." It looked into my eyes. "He is simply born to fulfill his role in this world."
Silence filled the room again. And only one thought kept echoing in my mind—Paragon…Hallowed…Gods…And now Demon Lord…This world was not more beautiful than I imagined…it was more dangerous. I stayed silent for a few moments. My gaze was fixed on the wall of the room, but my mind had wandered far away. If only…I thought to myself, if the Demon Lord were still alive…maybe I could have become strong enough to defeat him too. Somewhere inside me, that desire quietly raised its head.
Just then, Den spoke as if it had read my thoughts. "Look," it said calmly, "the Demon Lord will not come to this world right now." I looked at it. "But," it continued, "if the prophecies are to be believed…the Dark Lord will return to this world again." A faint light appeared in my eyes. Den noticed my reaction and said, "If that really happens, your luck will be quite good." "In the future," it said, "you may fight him together with the churches." My heartbeat quickened. "Could it be…" I said hesitantly, "that I am the Hero…who will defeat the Dark Lord?" Den shook its head without hesitation. "No," its answer was clear. "That is not possible." The hope on my face shattered instantly. "The one who will defeat the Dark Lord," Den said, "has already been born." "That's why it's not you."
A faint sadness naturally settled on my face. I didn't say anything. I just slowly held my stomach…and sat down on the bed. The real reason wasn't disappointment. The real reason was—something strange was happening inside my body. It felt as if…something was dissolving inside me. Something that hadn't been there before. Den's gaze immediately turned to me. It understood. "Don't worry," it said. "This is normal." I looked at it. "The ingredients that turn you into a Paragon," Den explained, "when they activate…they begin to open inside your body." "In that process," it said, "they dissolve into your bones and your blood." I took a light breath. "This happens with every Paragon," Den continued. "But as they learn to properly cultivate Aurum, this discomfort gradually fades away." I immediately asked, "How is Aurum cultivation done?" Den shook its head. "Not now," it said. "I'll tell you all of that in the morning."
Then it looked at my finger. "Do one thing," Den said, "wear the ring you have on your finger." "So that you can slowly understand it," it continued, "and when the right time comes, you can use its powers as well." After that, Den took a long breath. "Now let's sleep," it said. "I'm very sleepy." It let out a light yawn. "And you should sleep well too," Den added. "Sleep helps stabilize Aurum." Peace spread through the room once again. I sat on the bed, putting the ring on my finger. There was still a faint restlessness inside me…but along with it, a sense of new power as well. This world was slowly revealing its true face. And I…could no longer run away from it.