The bird droppings collection was complete.
A rich bonus of eggshells came along with it.
Thanks to that, Kim Jangcheol's heart felt endlessly warm! Like opening a packet of instant noodles and finding five sheets of kelp popping out—an overwhelming sense of abundance! Like the fluttering excitement when you finally collect nine coupons for free sweet and sour pork from the neighborhood Chinese restaurant stuck to the side of the fridge!
...With that feeling in his heart, Kim Jangcheol returned to the Demon King's castle.
And he summoned Zephyros and Baal.
"From now on, we're making compost."
"Compost… you say?"
"Do you know what that is?"
He asked Zephyros.
The guy pushed up his glasses and replied.
"I've heard of it. The humans scatter something over the soil before any farming. They call that compost."
"Yeah. That's right. That's compost. It improves the soil and enriches it with nutrients."
"But I've never actually seen or made it myself."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
"Why not?"
"Because no one in the abandoned land knew how to make it."
"......"
"That includes you too, my Lord."
Zephyros glanced over at him as he spoke. That look made a muscle in Kim Jangcheol's neck twitch involuntarily. Right. There's no way the Demon King Credos would know how to make compost.
"Ahem."
Kim Jangcheol gave a needless cough. Then he laid a titanium triple-embossed steel plate of composure over his face.
"...Yeah. You're right. The old me didn't know how to make compost. But that's not the case anymore."
"Not anymore, you say?"
"Yeah."
In moments like this, shamelessness is key.
A half-hearted lie gets caught fast, but a bold, shameless lie? That goes down surprisingly well.
So then...
"I saw it in a dream."
"......."
"I'm serious."
"........"
"That's why we're going to try it."
"...Does that even make sense?"
"Of course it doesn't. I'm baffled too. But the method I saw in the dream was so detailed. Like someone had taught me a class on it."
"What does that even…"
"So we'll know whether the method I saw is real or just nonsense once we try it. Right?"
"You want to confirm it, is that it?"
"Exactly."
"But if it fails…"
"What have we got to lose?"
"..."
Zephyros fell silent.
Now that he thought about it, Credos had a point. In the abandoned land, there was nothing left to lose anyway. Each day was soaked in miserable hunger. A pitiful reality where they had to devour each other just to survive.
And even if they failed at making compost—what would really change?
They'd still be starving.
Still trying not to get eaten.
Still chasing scraps to fill their bellies, wandering and collapsing like they always had.
That's the reality most of the abandoned land lived in.
"That's why we'll give it a shot. If we fail, we lose nothing. But if what I saw in the dream turns out to be—"
"—successful, we might catch a glimpse of hope."
"That's right."
"I see."
"Then why are you cutting off my lines?"
"My apologies."
"Doesn't sound like you're sorry."
"That's not true. I truly am sorry."
"Just saying that, aren't you?"
"Surely not. I mean it."
"Tsk."
Kim Jangcheol squinted like a flatfish at Zephyros. And deep inside, he let out a breath of relief.
'Whew. Thank god.'
He hadn't been found out.
He'd been nervous.
For a moment there, he'd been terrified that a careless slip-up would expose him. That they'd realize he wasn't the real Demon King Credos. For a second, it felt like all the blood drained from his limbs.
Thankfully, the bluff he threw out on the fly worked.
'...I've gotta be careful from now on.'
His position was still precarious.
The demon race was still starving, still lamenting the cancelled invasion of the human realm. The Four Heavenly Kings were surely watching for a chance to take his head—and Zephyros might not be an exception either.
So he couldn't afford to show weakness.
Especially not any gaps that could reveal his true identity.
"...Then, Lord Credos, please share with us the composting method you saw in your dream."
A moment of reflection and thought. Through that space, Zephyros's voice stabbed in. Kim Jangcheol quickly fixed his expression and raised his head.
"Of course."
And so it began.
"Step one! Grind, grind, grind!"
All the materials were finely ground.
The seagull droppings and eggshells scraped from the cliffside were ground down. The rotten wooden shafts of low-rank demon weapons were burned and crushed into ash.
Soil from the field was mixed in as well.
"Step two! Soak, soak, soak!"
Water was sprinkled onto the blended compost materials.
"...But Baal is not sure how much water to use!"
"Tsk. You still can't get the feel for it?"
"Baal doesn't know!"
"Sigh. Come over here and look. See this compost? Try grabbing a handful."
"Baal doesn't want to touch compost!"
"Why?"
"It stinks!"
"Then would you rather stay hungry?"
"Baal hates being hungry!"
"Then do as you're told, okay?"
"...Baal will do it."
"Yeah, yeah. This is the compost material. Grab a good handful."
"...Nnngh."
"How does it feel when you squeeze it tight?"
"Baal's palm got damp."
"Right? The moisture just barely seeps out, yeah?"
"Baal wants to wipe his hands!"
"Hang in there. Just focus. That's the right amount. Moisture should just barely come out when you squeeze hard. Not too much. Just a little short—frustratingly so. Got it?"
"Baal remember now!"
"Good, good. Teach the other low-rank demons the same way."
"Baal, understood!"
The Black Boulder Tyrant stomped off to the field. He commanded the low-rank demons. Hundreds of them bustled around the compost pit.
Thanks to that, the next step progressed smoothly.
"Step three! Stack, stack, stack!"
The moistened compost was stacked in a dry place. Considering the chilly weather, the height was set to around 70 cm. On top, they spread seagull feathers thickly like a blanket.
"...Though I still don't quite understand."
Zephyros, who had been overseeing the feather-layering on the compost pile, tilted his head. He furrowed his brows slightly and spoke.
"Once the materials are ground, mixed with water, and blended well, isn't that the end of compost-making? Why do we need to stack it separately like this...?"
"It's a necessary step."
"A necessary step?"
"Yes. Fermentation."
It's an essential part of the process.
People often think compost is just a pile of rot, but it's different. Compost is a collection of living organic matter.
"Actually, rotten compost is unusable. You have to use fully fermented, mature compost."
"If it doesn't ferment... does something go wrong?"
"Yeah. Compost gives off ammonia gas. That stuff is deadly to crops. Use it as-is and everything dies."
"So that's why you stack it and let it ferment?"
"Exactly. You catch on quick."
"But…"
"You're wondering how I knew about fermentation, huh?"
"Yes."
"I saw it in a dream."
"......"
"That's why I want to test it. See if it's real."
"......"
Zephyros clammed up.
He clearly had a lot he wanted to say.
But what could he do when the other side just brazened it out?
'He can't check my dreams, now can he!'
Another bluff successfully pushed through!
Kim Jangcheol smiled in satisfaction and focused on letting the compost rest.
In real farming, too, people prefer fully matured compost if they can get it. The only problem is that mature compost is expensive. That's why many settle for cheaper, less-mature compost—but even then, they take proper precautions when using it.
For example, waiting 7 to 15 days after applying the compost before planting crops, or using semi-mature compost purchased last year and stored over time.
'Now it's just a matter of waiting.'
As the compost matured nicely, day turned to night, and night to day.
Seven suns rose, and seven moons set.
Around then, Kim Jangcheol gathered the low-rank demons.
They removed the feathers piled on top of the compost. He had them turn and mix the compost. Sprinkled some water too. It was to ensure even fermentation throughout the pile.
Of course, it wasn't an easy task.
It was because of the massive concentration of ammonia produced during the compost's fermentation.
"Gaaaah, m-my nose…"
"My nose… it's disappearing aaagh…"
"Haaaaaaang…"
Thud.
"H-hey? You okay?"
"This guy—his heart's not beating!"
"Then start first aid!"
"But we don't know his blood type!"
"We only need his zodiac sign and MBTI! Compressing! Three! Four!"
"Huup!"
"...Bbu-kwa-haaak!"
"He's alive!"
"Brought him back!"
What a chaotic mess. Kim Jangcheol gave a bitter smile. But on the other hand, he also felt something strange inside.
"......"
The low-rank demons, clumsily but earnestly, mixing compost. Every last one of them was scrawny. If you looked closely, the area under their eyes had sunken in, and their complexions were a sickly yellow.
Yet they showed no sign of complaining.
Why?
As he kept watching, he began to understand why.
"By the way, squad leader?"
"Yeah. What is it."
"We may not have been able to invade the human world, but… it's still okay, right?"
"Beats me."
"But still. If this farming thing works out, doesn't that mean we might be able to live off the land, like humans do?"
"…You think that's gonna happen?"
"Pardon?"
"Don't get your hopes up. You'll just be disappointed. This is the abandoned land. What kind of farming could we possibly do here? You think making compost or whatever is gonna change anything?"
"But…"
"Why are we even doing this, you ask? Because we were ordered to. If we don't follow orders, we'll be killed right away. Turned into meat to fill the bellies of higher demons. This is how we buy ourselves a little more time to stay alive."
"I… see."
"Yeah. If I die, my kid dies too. And a low-rank demon kid who's lost their parents? Anyone can tell you they're an easy, mouth-watering meal."
"Ah…"
"You got a kid too, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Then keep your head down and do what you're told. Don't stand out. Don't get excited. That's the only way to slightly increase your chances of survival."
"Y-yes sir."
"If you get it, keep mixing. You'll get marked if you dawdle."
"...."
Maybe it was thanks to having taken over the Demon King's body.
Compared to when he was still human, Kim Jangcheol's greatly expanded senses allowed him to hear even from afar. The grumbles of low-rank demons who had been forcibly conscripted to stir compost. Their laments. Their sense of resignation.
He could hear it all.
"..."
I've killed so many like them.
Even if it was just a game I was enjoying.
Even practiced how to kill them more efficiently.
That used to be my favorite pastime.
'Maybe, to them… the one who truly acted like a real demon was me, not them.'
He didn't want to feel this way.
But a strange feeling kept welling up inside him.
Part of it reminded him of his own grad school years, when he was being exploited without meaningful reward or recognition.
Maybe that was why.
Why he approached them.
"Are you all… hungry?"
"......"
No one dared answer carelessly.
But of course, Kim Jangcheol already understood the silent answer they had swallowed down.
Of course they were hungry.
And surely, exhausted.
And likely feeling bitter as well.
Kim Jangcheol quietly picked up a small stone from the ground. And he gripped it tightly.
Crack!
A dent was left in the stone by his fingernails.
He held the dented stone out to the low-rank demon closest to him.
"Take this."
"...Pardon?"
"It's a meal ticket, given in place of a snack."
The low-rank demon, who just moments ago had spoken in a voice full of resignation, saying he was only surviving for the sake of his child, looked up at Kim Jangcheol in shock.
Kim Jangcheol gave him a faint smile.
"Yeah. You must be hungry. Even after being dragged out to work the fields, you can't fill your stomach—must be tough, unfair even. That's why I'm giving you this. While I can't provide you with a snack right now, I give you this instead—a promise that one day, you'll have the right to eat a proper meal without shame."
"The right… to eat a snack…"
"Exactly."
"Is a snack… delicious?"
"Hmm. I'll make you a promise, right here, right now. It'll be sweet as honey."
"Is that really true?"
"Yeah."
Kim Jangcheol nodded.
He meant it.
A snack eaten after sweating out in the field is the sweetest of all. One day, he truly wanted to show them that taste. And he wanted to let them know that if you work hard, you can earn fair compensation.
But just then—
"Uh, but my Lord Demon King…?"
A low-rank demon hesitantly raised a question.
"I get the general idea of what a snack is now. But… um… there's one more thing I'm curious about…"
"Something you're curious about? What is it?"
"Well, I understand that the snack is tasty… and that you're promising it… and that we have to farm diligently…"
"But?"
"It's just… I'm wondering if we even have anything to plant…"
The low-rank demon shrank back and glanced at Kim Jangcheol nervously. In truth, the others around him had been wondering the same thing.
'This is the abandoned land. There's nothing to plant here to begin with. There's no proper crop. It's not like we've stored away any seeds or fruits stolen from the human realm, either.'
So what exactly were they planning to plant?
Did they even have anything to plant?
Everyone had the same thought.
In this place—
In this cursed, abandoned land—
There were no crops to plant in the first place. So what on earth was the Demon King thinking? With that question burning inside them, all eyes turned to Kim Jangcheol.
At that moment—
"Something to plant? Of course we have that."
"Pardon?"
"I said, we have something to plant."
The Demon King smiled faintly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
The low-rank demon blinked in confusion.
"When you say we have it… where is it…?"
"Where do you think?"
Kim Jangcheol's smile deepened.
A crop to plant?
Yes.
It had been there from the beginning.
He had already seen it.
The day he first entered the Demon King's body.
In various places, in a corner of the hall where the marching ceremony had been held, and even now. You all never realized. Even if you had, you probably didn't know how to eat it safely, so you were helpless.
"Look beneath your feet."
"Pardon?"
At Kim Jangcheol's words, the low-rank demon looked down. Thanks to that, he spotted a single shabby purple flower blooming beneath his feet.
An incredibly common flower.
One that grew everywhere in the abandoned land.
But one that had always been deemed useless in easing hunger.
"This is…"
The low-rank demon would never have known.
That the flower blooming beneath his feet was once the very nourishment of a great ancient empire in South America.
That it was, in fact, the legendary diploid wild potato, Solanum Stenotomum—the first plant to be domesticated by human hands.