ETHTKE chapter 113

* * *

“What, what is that?!”

What the hell was going on?!

Panicking, I didn’t even realize Baek Yigang had let go of my hand and stumbled backward, overwhelmed.

For the first time since I was possessed, instinct made me retreat.

The garden, once bathed in the beauty of the crimson sunset, had vanished into the inky void.

“…It’s time.”

Amid the darkness, Baek Yigang’s silhouette faintly came into view.

He murmured something unintelligible and, unlike me, began moving forward.

Time? Now that I thought about it, hadn’t he said something similar earlier in the office?

“Yes, let’s go. It’s about time.”

At the time, I thought he was just talking about going for a walk.

But did it mean something else?

“Baek Yigang, do you know what’s going on?”

He didn’t look surprised at all—almost as if he’d anticipated this chaos.

What the hell is happening? Everything’s supposed to be over…!

A violent wind suddenly swept in, as fierce as a raging storm.

Bracing myself against the relentless gale, I stood firm, but in the midst of it all, Baek Yigang’s voice cut through with eerie clarity.

“It’s a demon.”

There was no room for misinterpretation. His words were precise, concise, and disturbingly calm.

“Don’t joke about something like that in this situation!”

Had he completely lost it?

Why would a demon suddenly appear?

Demons were connected to Fiel, not to him…!

“Hail Dirzio, contractor. I have come to claim the promised reward.”

Suddenly, a voice so chilling it sent shivers down my spine pierced my ears.

Just hearing it felt like shards of ice were being driven into my eardrums.

Hearing it for myself, I couldn’t deny Baek Yigang’s words any longer.

That was indeed a demon.

I’d never heard a demon’s voice so clearly before, but this perfectly matched the descriptions in the original story—the moment a demon appeared before Ian and his companions.

Every detail was identical: the darkened sky, the encroaching shadows, and the ominous title of “contractor.”

There was no other explanation for these phenomena.

“What does it mean, a promised reward? Baek Yigang, what’s going on?!”

Even in the suffocating darkness, I could feel Baek Yigang turn to face me.

With my sight gone, my other senses seemed to sharpen, especially when it came to him.

“To obtain you from the demon, I promised it my soul.”

“…What?”

Had I heard him correctly?

Was he joking?

He couldn’t be serious… could he?

“This isn’t a joke, right?” My voice wavered.

“It’s not.”

Baek Yigang’s response was so matter-of-fact, so devoid of hesitation, that I found myself disoriented, unable to grasp reality.

It all felt like a dream—a nightmare I could wake from if I just opened my eyes.

Even in a fantasy novel, this was too much.

Who could remain calm when their very life was on the line?

And yet, no matter how surreal it seemed, I couldn’t just let this go.

Too many things didn’t add up.

“So, you’re saying the reason I came here was because of a demon? Because of some deal between you and that demon?”

“That’s why I asked you when we first met if you were from the Demon Realm.”

His dry tone and blunt words brought a memory flooding back to me.

“Could you be someone from the Demon Realm?”

At the time, I’d laughed at the absurdity of his question.

Now, it was clear what he’d meant.

He’d been asking if I was sent by the demon.

How could I have known? In the original story, Baek Yigang only made a pact with a demon after his fall.

In this life, he hadn’t fallen. He might have wielded dark power, but I never thought he’d made a pact with a demon.

So… this was how he planned to betray me?

In the end, wasn’t I just a pawn—a tool the demon used to devour a human soul?

Grinding my teeth, I reached into the inside pocket of my jacket.

Did he think I’d just walk away with a polite “Oh, I see. I was your demon’s tool. Good luck with your soul deal, I’ll be on my way now”?

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

You damn Baek Yigang.

Couldn’t you have given me a heads-up?

Do you really have to handle everything alone?

Even something as life-threatening as this?

Finally, my fingers brushed against something cold.

Pulling it out, I saw a small green vial glowing faintly even in the pitch black.

This… this was from Delcia…

“Sometimes your thoughts get tangled, don’t they? Or you get so nervous. When you’re in such turmoil, taking this medicine will calm you down. It’s still in development, but I can vouch for its efficacy in the name of the Rietri Imperial Family.”

…That long-winded explanation referred to what was essentially a Western version of Cheongsimhwan.

And now, the moment had come when I truly needed its power.

Not because I was afraid of the demon, of course.

But diving into that seemingly endless abyss of darkness required a bit of courage.

It’s not fear—just seeking some momentum. Seriously. Really.

Gulp.

Swallowing the dose in one go, I felt the warm sensation of the medicine flow down my throat.

I took a deep breath.

Ah, here it comes.

The psychological courage Cheongsimhwan delivers!

—Alright, time to confront this…

“Hey, you demon bastard!”

I stepped forward from where I had hesitated before.

Thankfully, Baek Yigang wasn’t far off.

As I approached him, I saw his expression harden.

The guy who remained unbothered even in front of a demon froze up the moment I arrived.

It was funny in a way.

—…D-demon bastard…?

“If you were in Korea, you’d have had your head cracked open by a shaman and your heart ripped out by a priest. Be grateful I’m not religious.”

I muttered irritably, wishing I’d at least memorized the Lord’s Prayer.

The demon’s shadowy form wavered violently, visibly shaken by my presence.

Judging by its reaction, it seemed my existence was utterly baffling to it.

Well, as long as it’s shaken, that’s all that matters.

Hooray for Cheongsimhwan.

Soon, the enormous darkness that had spread across the sky began to condense into a vaguely humanoid form.

Before long, something roughly mimicking a human shape stood before us.

—Who are you to interfere with my business?

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking that? You dared to use me in your cursed little contract?”

Finally finding the culprit who possessed me, there was no way I could let it slide.

Did it have any idea how much I’d suffered because of it?

This xxxx deserves a xxxxx and then some!

The demon, enduring my barrage of insults spat out like rapid-fire bullets, looked visibly shocked.

It recoiled, despite having no facial expression to show it.

—Y-you seem to have a lot of grievances.

“Grievances? Oh, you noticed? Want to confirm just how many?”

They say anger makes you calm, and I was the perfect example of that right now.

Ignoring the frightened demon, I turned to meet the burning gaze beside me.

Familiar violet pupils locked onto me with a determined look, even in this chaos.

Grasping Baek Yigang’s cold hand, I marveled at how warm it felt. Maybe I really had gone crazy.

“Baek Yigang, how old were you when you made that contract with it?”

“…Six.”

He answered honestly and didn’t pull his hand away from mine.

That damned demon.

If I didn’t say this, I’d explode.

Even if it’s praise for a demon, it can’t go unsaid: that piece of trash isn’t even fit for recycling!

What would a six-year-old have known?

That bastard demon. I won’t let it go.

“Cheong Dowoon, what are you planning to do?”

“Igang, I’m good at handling crises like this. Trust me, okay?”

This was true.

At work, I was always the one cleaning up messes with clients.

That experience made me exceptional at managing unexpected situations.

See?

As awful as work life can be, it teaches you useful skills.

With a soulless thank-you to my wretched manager, I exhaled slowly, easing the tension in my stiff shoulders.

Then I began gathering magical energy at my fingertips.

It was the second time I’d used so much magic since possessing this body.

The first was when I restored the burned-down imperial forest.

The second was now, as I opened the gate to the Demon Realm.

—H-how are you opening that gate?! A mere human can’t—

“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. Hi, I’m a transmigrator. I’m not bound by this world’s rules. There’s no gate I can’t open.”

—Impossible!

“I’m going to march into the Demon Realm and report every one of your vile deeds to the Archdemon. Just wait.”

The demon flinched visibly at my threat.

The Archdemon. For demons, it was akin to a god.

Not that it was benevolent—it was still a demon.

But it had a peculiar tendency to rage when its subordinates caused even minor problems.

This wasn’t about justice. It hated being inconvenienced.

Thanks to the original novel, I knew this world’s rules like the back of my hand.

Being a transmigrator has its perks, folks!

In the original story, Ian and his companions ended up in the Demon Realm while battling demons.

They even grabbed the Archdemon by the collar, provoking it into destroying everything out of sheer annoyance.

The lesson?

Just sic the Archdemon on them.

Mention “other demons” while you’re at it—it despises having its time wasted.

* * *