Jin Hwa, under the cover of the night, made his way to the school. With his expert stealth, he trespassed without alerting the guards. Holding the simple rusty key, he followed its direction, leading him to a specific classroom.
As he inserted the key into the classroom's lock, it began to glow, and the portal to another dimension opened. Jin Hwa, unsurprised by such occurrences, made a decision to step through the portal.
Once inside, the darkness enveloped him, and he couldn't see a thing. In this new and unknown place, he had to rely on his wits and instincts to navigate further.
...
As the darkness slowly receded, revealing the way forward, Jin Hwa noticed a silhouette in the distance. The figure spoke arrogantly, saying, "Hmmm, so you're the vessel of our lord, huh?"
Intrigued but cautious, Jin Hwa exchanged questions, asking, "Who are you? What do you want?"
However, before he could receive a response, the silhouette charged at him with unexpected speed. Jin Hwa, taken by surprise, couldn't react in time and was sent flying by the force of the sudden attack.
Caught off guard by the mysterious silhouette's relentless assault, Jin Hwa had no choice but to defend himself. The exchange of attacks between them was intense, with each strike met by a swift counter from the enigmatic figure.
The silhouette taunted Jin Hwa, sneering, "Is this it? Is this all? Show me more!"
Irritated by the arrogance of his opponent, Jin Hwa fought back with determination, pushing himself to give it his all. The battle continued, with both of them exchanging blows and tactics, but it didn't last long.
The mysterious silhouette suddenly ceased its attack, uttering a disdainful "Hmp." It spoke, "If you're not a vessel, I would have killed you immediately."
Puzzled by the abrupt halt, Jin Hwa questioned, "Why did you stop?"
The silhouette responded,
"I stopped because he said so.
Well, I am Belphegor, the embodiment of Sloth, one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
"It's a dubious pleasure to make your acquaintance, but given my natural inclination for indolence, let's not dawdle, shall we?"
I invited you here to test you and give you my crest, but while we were fighting, I didn't see anything special. I don't know why that man picked you. Tsk."
As Jin Hwa processed the revelation that he was facing the Sin of Sloth, Belphegor, he muttered in astonishment, "Sin of Sloth? Belphegor? A demon?"
Belphegor, incensed by Jin Hwa's words, retorted, "Not just a demon, you filthy human! I'm part of the Seven Sins, so watch your mouth."
Puzzled by Belphegor's actions, Jin Hwa raised an eyebrow, but before he could react, the demon raised his hand and began to utter something. Jin Hwa couldn't discern the words, but a sudden drowsiness overcame him. With a bewildered look, he fell to the ground, finding himself once more in a familiar classroom.
Confused and disoriented, Jin Hwa wondered what had just happened. He quickly got to his feet, checking his surroundings to ensure he was back in the real world. It was still nighttime, just as it had been when he encountered Belphegor.
Recalling the events, he remembered falling to the ground. Upon closer inspection of his palm, he noticed a strange tattoo. Perplexed, he questioned, "What is this?" It was then that he recalled Belphegor's words, mentioning that he would give his crest.
Realization dawned upon Jin Hwa as he understood that the tattoo in his palm was Belphegor's crest, the mark of the Sin of Sloth.
[To be continued]