What is happiness?
I don't know, even when I try to think about it.
I can't figure it out, even when I agonize over it.
It's been like that for the past few days.
And maybe, going forward too, for quite a while—no, maybe for a very long time, it will stay that way.
"....."
The level 9990 NPC, Aged Kimchi, lowered his gaze.
A pool of blood.
A pool of blood spread thickly across the floor could be seen clearly. Of course it could. It had just been created. By his own hand.
"Hoo."
How much farther would he have to walk to escape the abandoned land? How much longer would he have to wander to reach a human village? And until then, how many more enemies would he have to crush, and turn into pools of blood?
He still didn't know.
But, there was one thing he was certain of.
That he had grown utterly sick of slaughter and struggle. That ever since he lost the summon of duty, all of it had become meaningless to him.
"......"
In the meantime, the blood on the ground slowly trickled toward him. Unconsciously, he stepped back. A sudden thought crossed his mind—it was a relief. That his shoes hadn't gotten stained with blood. That the scent of blood wouldn't linger on the footsteps he'd take from here.
'I never want to...…..'
…go back to a life of endless fighting.
Perhaps it had been nineteen times—his repeated lives.
Faint memories of past lives surfaced.
He didn't want to repeat the actions from back then.
"......"
So he would go.
To a place without meaningless struggle.
To a place where he could lead his life in peace.
He didn't yet know where that place was.
But one day, to a home where the peace of his life could dwell.
"…Let's go."
In a dim cave—
Perhaps at the edge that would lead him outside the abandoned land. Perhaps to a place where he could truly become happy. A final destination whose whereabouts were still unknown.
Aged Kimchi's steps continued, toward that place.
***
What is happiness?
Looking ahead, he realized.
Messages filling up his sight.
Seeing those, he could feel it clearly.
And maybe, going forward too, often—no, perhaps quite frequently—it would be like this.
"......"
Kim Jangcheol lifted his gaze.
The message window.
A message window completely filled his vision. Of course it did—it had just appeared. Triggered by the accomplishment he had achieved.
Ding dong!
[Some of your Demon King's army subordinates are feeling a euphoric, taste-explosion-level happiness.]
[The happiness they feel is entirely a gift from you.]
[The first Happy Point has been accumulated.]
[51 Happy Points have been gained.]
[Current Happy Points in your possession: 51]
'Phew.'
So it was real, Happy Points.
Honestly, he'd been unsure until now.
Probably since the moment he first saw the Happy Point message, right after saving Baal at the jagged cliffs by the seaside. He'd been happy, but at the same time, it was hard to fully believe. He wanted to check it. But there had been no way to confirm.
'Everyone living here in the abandoned land had their happiness index completely shattered beyond repair.'
Clutching their hungry bellies—standard!
Yellowed faces from malnutrition—default setting!
Not a single hint of a smile—daily life!
Obviously, no one in such a state could be feeling any kind of happiness. In that situation, earning Happy Points was completely out of the question.
'So I made chuno, partly to test it out, and partly to instill confidence about potato farming.'
And judging by this response, it was a jackpot.
Thanks to that, he gained as many as 51 Happy Points.
Enough points to purchase part of Demon King Credos's stats.
'Good. I'll try using that later tonight, when I'm alone… but for now...'
Kim Jangcheol turned to observe the reactions of the low-ranking demons.
Every single one of them was crying from emotion.
Of course they were.
Potatoes are delicious.
Potatoes are blessings.
Potatoes are cute.
Is that a joke?
No, it's dead serious.
Even if someone went all the way to the central Andes highlands to visit Bolivian farmer Ronald Gonzalez (41, male, single), and woke him up in the middle of the night by poking his cheeks, shouting "Brother! Brother! What do you think about potatoes?"—you'd get the same answer without a doubt.
And these low-ranking demons?
They'd say it even louder.
Why?
'Because they've been starving and finally got to eat real human food for the first time in forever!'
To be honest, chuno itself isn't exactly a gourmet dish. Strictly speaking, it's nothing more than freeze-dried potatoes—dried potato slices, really.
That's why chuno only reveals its true value when paired with a variety of seasonings. Being a dried food, it soaks up flavor like ramen noodles absorbing broth, delivering it directly to your tongue's taste buds with a punch.
But now?
There were no ingredients to make seasoning.
So he just threw in a ton of salt.
But that alone was enough.
"Ughhh… guhuhh…!"
"…Phew, ha-up!"
"Chomp chomp chomp!"
Everyone must've been thirsty, and their mouths probably felt like sandpaper, but still, they focused intensely, trying to savor every bit of flavor. Some, who had been too impatient and swallowed their chuno too fast, were licking the remnants off their own fingers.
Even though each of them had only received two pieces of chuno, and each piece was barely the size of a cherry tomato—they still reacted like this.
Frankly, it was a little unexpected.
He figured they'd like it.
But he didn't think they'd cry tears of joy.
"......"
These were low-ranking demons, but even so, they were stationed near the Demon King's Castle, making them relatively high-level among the mobs. Back when he first started playing this game, each one of these guys had been a terrifying enemy.
And yet now? This feeling…
Why did he keep getting weirdly sentimental?
Maybe… he should've made more chuno.
"Tsk."
Kim Jangcheol quickly brushed away the strange emotion that had suddenly bubbled up. Then, with a cold, composed face, he turned and asked them all,
"Everyone, how is it? Is it edible?"
"…Y-Yes, yes, Lord Demon King!"
"Thank you so much!"
Their responses came back filled with sincere emotion. Which only made him feel even weirder.
Kim Jangcheol tilted his chin and asked,
"So, anyone still doubting wild variant potatoes?"
"......."
"No one?"
"N-None, sir!"
"Really? I can't hear you very well."
"N-None at allll, sirrrr!"
"From the heart?"
"Yes sirrrr, trulyyyy!"
The low-ranking demons shouted with heartfelt bellows. They were genuinely filled with surprise and awe.
Was it because the chuno was delicious?
That too, was true.
Some of these low-ranking demons had gone nearly a month without food. Even for demons hardened by hunger, it was enough to make them feel the limits of their endurance.
In the midst of that, they were able to eat food made for humans—even if it was dried potato. It was even seasoned perfectly with salt!
They were happy.
In a place where they hadn't expected it at all.
In a moment they never even dreamed of.
They had never once thought they'd be able to put something edible in their mouths. At the very least, they had never expected to taste something that could actually be called food, to feel full from it.
And as it turned out, they were surprisingly full.
Even though chuno was tiny, once it went into their stomachs, it absorbed moisture like any dried food would and expanded rapidly.
Thanks to that, a wave of fullness surged through their stomachs!
A foreign yet welcome sensation of being fed, granted to someone who had felt worthless in this vast universe!
And that wasn't all.
'My mouth… isn't numb.'
They had eaten two pieces of chuno, yet their mouths were completely fine.
It was truly strange.
Back when hunger drove them to dig up and eat the wild variant potatoes, the moment they bit into them, a numbing sensation spread across their mouths. And after forcing themselves to eat a few more, they had to endure massive stomach pain.
But now? Nothing. They were fine.
That's right.
Everything the Demon King had confidently declared, turned out to be true. All those seemingly meaningless actions—drying, mashing, crushing the potatoes—each held a deeper purpose.
'…Lord Demon King, you're the best!'
'As expected, Lord Demon King is a genius…'
'Now that I look closely, isn't Lord Demon King kind of handsome too?'
Fifty low-ranking demons, blessed by grace(?) of chuno, looked toward Kim Jangcheol with sparkles in their eyes, a layer of admiration gently clouding their gaze.
Kim Jangcheol didn't miss the change in their expression.
"Alright. I understand your feelings well. Potatoes… not so bad, huh?"
"Absolutely not bad, sirrr!"
"Then, what do you all think you should do from now on?"
"…?"
Kim Jangcheol gave a knowing smile.
"You should go out and spread the word, right?"
"…!"
"Tell your neighbors—next door, across the hall, behind you, even the upstairs jerks you argued with over noise—let them all know. That there's a way to eat wild variant potatoes safely and deliciously. That I made it possible. So from now on, you need to dig up as many wild variant potatoes as you can and bring them to the Demon King's Castle."
"Y-Yes, sir…"
"Your voice."
"Yes sirrrr!"
"Good. Those who bring in good results will receive a special reward—more chuno. That's all. Dismissed."
Kim Jangcheol waved his hand.
The low-ranking demons scattered, their faces glowing with excitement.
Then, Zephyros, who had been silently watching from the side, finally spoke.
"…Seeing how fast they're moving, I assume they're eager to spread the word."
"Of course they are."
"Did you plan all this from the start?"
"Well, roughly."
"…Even the taste?"
Crunch.
Zephyros asked while taking a small, sharp bite of chuno. His expression held both a hint of surprise and uncertainty.
"To be honest, I didn't expect it to taste like this."
"You didn't?"
"No. When Baal stomped on the mushy potatoes, they looked like a total mess."
"Sounds like you had zero expectations."
"Baal's feet don't exactly smell pleasant, after all."
"Hey, that's part of the seasoning."
"Don't you mean foot-seasoning?"
"Anyway—"
Kim Jangcheol snorted through his nose.
"Thanks to this, everyone's trust in the wild variant potatoes has gone up. And they'll spread the word. That's all that matters."
"Yes. I suppose those who hear the rumors will become hopeful, and start digging up wild variant potatoes with effort."
"And they'll haul them all back to the Demon King's Castle."
"Are you planning to make them all into chuno and distribute them?"
"Some of them."
"…Some, meaning?"
"If we turn everything into chuno, what are we supposed to eat next year?"
"Ah, then…"
"You've figured it out?"
"Yes. You're going to make some into chuno as emergency rations, and the rest… you're going to plant them in the fields you've been preparing."
"Exactly. That's it."
As expected, Zephyros was sharp—he understood perfectly. Kim Jangcheol smiled, satisfied.
"We'll plant them, grow them, and multiply the stock."
"And then turn some of that into chuno again, and the rest…"
"Right. That's the way to do it."
Exactly that.
If that worked out?
There'd be no more need to worry about starving.
That was Kim Jangcheol's plan.
However…
"Hey, don't you have anything to say to me?"
"…Excuse me?"
"You know, like… you were touched, or grateful, or something. Like the other low-ranking demons."
He asked Zephyros.
But the guy didn't even twitch an eyebrow. He simply pulled out his notepad with the same cold, ever-serious expression.
"... On the xxth day of the xxth month of the 320th year of the Demon King's Calendar. Demon King Credos asked if I was touched or grateful with a subtly expectant look on his face…"
"…Huh?"
"…When I ignored him and continued writing in the chronicle, he responded with visible disappointment and said, 'Huh?'…"
"You—you! What are you doing right now?"
"…As you can see."
"…Are you recording everything I do?"
"Yes."
"Why!?"
"Because recording every move and word of the Demon King in the chronicles is one of my key responsibilities."
"Key responsibility? The chronicles? You're documenting everything I say and do?"
"Yes. You didn't know?"
"…."
He didn't know.
Kim Jangcheol was dumbfounded.
"What is this? Are you writing the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty or something?"
"What's that?"
"...."
"Well, the chronicle I'm writing is titled the Annals of the Demon King's Reign."
"Pfft. That's such a bland, boring name."
"And it will be permanently preserved in the archives of the Abandoned Land, accessible to anyone."
"...…"
"…Upon hearing this, the Demon King tried very hard to maintain a cool expression, which was obviously not working…"
"Don't write that part down!"
"…he shouted, 'Don't write that down!' with a high-pitched shriek…"
"...…"
"…then clenched his eyes shut as if deeply pissed…"
"...…"
Kim Jangcheol silently looked up at the sky, as if beginning a vow of silence.
Meanwhile, Zephyros secretly smiled to himself. And quietly thought—
When he had eaten chuno for the first time earlier, unexpectedly, it had made him happy.
And he was thankful.
It started from that day.
At the Demon King's Castle, Chavin de Huantar—
In this land once filled only with starvation and despair, the demons caught a glimpse of hope for the first time and began to gather every wild variant potato they could find of their own will.
Thus, no one knew.
That their potato harvesting was being secretly watched—by a scout ghost under Saruthul, the First Star Master of the Demon King's Army, who harbored rebellious ambitions.