Lee Gyeong tilted her head, confusion etched on her face.
"What's that?"
What was with that reaction? She must know, yet here she was, asking me. Was she trying to deny reality?
I sighed and began to explain.
"That tattoo is the seal of a demon. When this seal is stamped on a person, their soul is sold to a devil. Essentially, they become a sacrifice for a great demon."
"...!"
"It's a false stigma designed to trick the gullible. Upon death, the marked person's life force and soul are taken. The life force goes to the host, serving as a source of power, while the soul is claimed by the devil. It's truly a twisted situation."
Lee Gyeong trembled. She must have understood her current predicament by now.
"Wait... does this mean I'm going to die?"
Silence hung heavy in the air.
She must have interpreted my silence as a 'yes' because she suddenly turned pale, as if all the blood had drained from her face.
As I observed her, a whirlwind of troubling thoughts raced through my mind.
There is no way an amateur like Minhyuk who knew nothing about the Gods and their stories would be able to create a seal this high level.
I narrowed my gaze at the mark.
From the beginning, imitating the seal of Athena was impossible. The marks and seals of constellations were not merely drawings; they were divine relics, infused with the constellations' power
How could a newbie like Minhyuk replicate Athena's seal, a Mythical constellation?
There was only one explanation. If a demon was indeed responsible, it had to be a demon of significant status.
A Demon Duke.
Names of constellations from the demonic faction flitted through my mind. However, it still didn't make sense.
High-ranking demons wouldn't waste their time on a Lower World like Earth. They preferred outright destruction to the intricate games mortals played.
Only two scenarios came to mind.
First, Minhyuk might possess a talent compelling enough to catch the attention of a Demon Duke. Just thinking about it felt wrong.
From what I'd seen, Minhyuk lacked the potential to attract any high-ranking constellation. If he had such talent, he wouldn't be wasting his time gathering lackeys.
Then it had to be the second scenario.
I stopped my thoughts, realizing that, in the grand scheme of things, it didn't matter whether a great demon had arrived due to the Third Fable. What needed to be done remained unchanged.
Now, what to do with this girl?
My gaze finally settled on Lee Gyeong, trembling on the floor.
There was no obligation to help her, even if she had been forced into this situation. The same applied to the other survivors deceived by Kim Minhyuk.
They had willingly joined the mainframe group. It was basic common sense; they needed to take responsibility for their lives and actions. Cruel as it may be, that was the reality now.
At that moment, a solution began to take shape in my mind. There was no need to abandon this girl. In fact, there was a role only she could fulfill.
Surely, even villains were useful.
I looked down at Lee Gyeong, sprawled on the ground. As if sensing my gaze, she raised her head to meet my eyes, with an expression filled with unease.
With a harsh tone, I said,
"Listen closely. You've committed a serious crime. Whether you were deceived or not is irrelevant, you still attempted to kill everyone here. Normally, I'd have killed you on the spot."
Her body tensed as I continued, "But I've decided otherwise. If you want to live, you'll need to assist us with something. Maybe, just maybe, I can even reverse the effects of the seal."
"Really... You'll do that?"
Surprise flickered in her eyes, making her vulnerability almost endearing.
"That's right. I'm a man of my word. But that depends on your answer. If you're not interested, then—"
"No! Wait!"
Lee Gyeong reached out, grabbing my sleeve with trembling fingers. Her resolve seemed to solidify.
"Please… don't go. I'll do it. If I can survive, I'll do anything you say."
A slow smile crept onto my lips. Manipulating this naive girl was almost too easy.
"Are you sure? Really willing to do anything?"
[The constellation 'Architect of Destruction' is curious about your plan.]
[The constellation 'Architect of Destruction' wonders what a sly bastard like you is thinking.]
Without hesitation, Lee Gyeong nodded
"Yes, I'll do anything, even if I have to sell my body."
"Please don't say that. I dislike inappropriate things."
"I'm... I'm sorry."
I stared at her face for a while before I approached Yunhee and extended my hand like a tax collector.
Jung Yunhee looked at me, confused.
"What is it?"
"Give me your knife."
"Eh? Why? Don't you have your sword?"
"I'm just borrowing it. I'll return it when I'm done."
"Tck, fine."
Grumbling under her breath, Yunhee reluctantly handed over her Swiss Army knife. Just as I turned, Jongho approached, his voice low and wary.
"Are you sure we should be helping this woman?"
"I know you have your doubts, but trust me, she'll be very useful."
I walked past Jongho and knelt in front of Lee Gyeong, gripping the knife firmly. Her gaze was fixated on the blade, with confusion shadowing her face.
"A knife? What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to modify the seal."
"Modify?"
"Yes. To be honest, this is my first time doing this, so please don't move."
"Huh? What do you mean it's your first time? Don't tell me..."
"Yes, yes, I'm a complete amateur. It won't hurt to run a few tests. Stop talking, or it'll be bothersome. Jongho-ssi, hold her down."
"Um... Alright."
Jongho hesitated but eventually nodded. "Alright."
"WAIT! WAIT! WHAT'S GOING ON? I CHANGED MY MIND! I CHANGED MY MIND! LET ME GO!"
Lee Gyeong thrashed wildly, but Jongho's grip was firm.
He said flatly, "I'm sorry, but you don't get to walk away untouched after trying to kill us."
"NO! NO! NO! STAY BACK! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? AHHAAARRGGHHH!!!"
Her screams echoed through the subway as I raised the blade, the sound ricocheting off the cold walls and drowning out any semblance of sanity in the space.
* * *
Minhyuk was standing rather nonchalantly, seemingly unbothered, staring into empty space.
It was because of the countless system notifications he was receiving.
[The Mark target has been killed! Their lifeforce will be absorbed.]
[The Mark target has died! Their lifeforce will be absorbed.]
[The Mark target has died! Their lifeforce will be absorbed.]
'Haha! This is great! I can feel myself growing stronger by the second.'
A sinister smile crept onto Minhyuk's face as he observed the glowing seal on the back of his palm. The blessing he received from his guiding constellation was functioning effectively.
When he received the message from the nameless constellation, he had been skeptical at first.
But what if he had refused and missed out on something great? He had no other options anyway.
Fear had propelled Minhyuk to accept the Star Contract blindly, but it turned out to be the right decision.
'lf I had turned down the sponsorship and missed out on something like this, it would have been catastrophic.'
Minhyuk laughed, indifferent to the number of people he had to sacrifice in the process. To him, branded humans were mere assets while alive and nutrients when dead—disposable materials that could easily be replaced.
He has always been this way since high school, and he hasn't changed a bit. In this world, everything could be acquired with enough power and money.
It was a truth that remained unchanged even when the old world was destroyed, and the emergence of a new one.
Thus, Kim Minhyuk could enjoy a life of relative comfort and ease if he could increase his strength through numbers and sacrifice. Of course, that power didn't come free.
[The constellation '#### ### ###' says he will be disappointed if you fail to complete the narrative.]
Minhyuk's smile faltered, replaced by a frown.
There was an old saying that goes, power comes with its own setbacks. Even the blessing he had received from a Greater Power could easily be revoked if he proved he was no longer useful.
He quickly opened up the system interface for the narrative.
[02 : 11 : 31]
Minhyuk checked the timer and clicked his tongue.
Once the countdown hit zero, those who met the sub-story's requirements would transition to the next Narrative.
[45/50]
Unfortunately, Minhyuk wasn't among those people. He still needed five more cores.
From absorbing lifeforce through the seal, he had been able to amasse considerable amount of magic power, so his strength was not lacking. He was confident he could kill everyone in the crowd without breaking a sweat.
So if he went around and spent the remaining time by killing monsters, he might be able to gather the remaining cores.
But there was no guarantee he would get five cores or even survive to tell the tale. Not only low-ranking monsters were moving around, there were also massive and more dangerous creatures lingering around Seoul.
'What should I do now? Should I just kill everyone else and take their cores for myself?'
His gaze swept over the throng gathered in the safe zone's center.
Most had teamed up under his leadership, and silently observed each other from a distance. They must have understood the situation by now and what they needed to do.
Minhyuk shrugged.
'Can't blame them. In a nightmare like this, stealing cores is the easiest way to live.'
In a situation where the difficulty of the mission was at an insane level, it will be obvious people will choose the easier route. Stealing another person's cores.
In other words, they needed to kill the other person and take their cores.
'They'll probably start when the timer hits 30 minutes. No, given the atmosphere, they might act any moment now.'
The people were waiting for the perfect moment to act like predatory beasts hunting their prey.
They were like beasts poised to bare their fangs.
Minhyuk was waiting for this moment as well.
Minhyuk was waiting for that moment, too.
Many of them were already marked by his seal. If they tore each other apart, he'd only grow stronger amid the chaos.
Of course, he could simply demand cores from one of his minions and pass the Narrative with ease.
But where was the fun in that? Even his destruction-loving constellation wouldn't appreciate something so dull.
Patience was his only option.
"Huh?"
A commotion near the safe zone entrance snapped his attention back.
A cluster of figures shoved their way through the crowd.
"Excuse me."
"Sorry, coming through."
"Hey, what gives?"
"Stop pushing! Damnit. Where did these rude guys come from?"
The trio moved with audacious confidence, pushing past his men without hesitation.
Intrigued, Minhyuk narrowed his eyes, studying them. Something about those newcomers made familiar for some reason, but he couldn't immediately place them.
Two women and a man. The blonde woman's flowing hair glinted in the light, contrasting sharply with the other woman's short black hair that framed her face. The man had the hardened expression of a soldier, someone seasoned by combat.
Their faces tugged at his memory, but no immediate connection surfaced. Maybe they simply hadn't left a lasting impression during their previous encounter.
But then, another figure emerged from the throng, pushing her way through with a determined look.
'Huh, is that Lee Gyeong?'
Minhyuk's brow furrowed in confusion. Lee Gyeong had been part of the group he'd sent out earlier.
'What was she doing back in the safe zone?'
'Had she somehow gather enough cores?'
'No, that will be Impossible.'
The drop rate for cores was abysmal. Obtaining a single core after fighting a horde of monsters was like discovering an oasis in a desert.
He'd suspected the Narrative's theme had been engineered this way. Finding someone who gathered enough cores so quickly would be astonishing.
His eyes sharpened as he scrutinized the newcomers.
'Wait, aren't they those people?'
Finally, the pieces fell into place.
Those familiar faces from his past were now standing before him, alive against all odds. His heart raced with a growing sense of unease.
If they were still breathing, then that could only mean one thing…
'Lee Gyeong failed? That damn bitch… can't even handle poisoning a few people?'
Minhyuk's jaw clenched.
Damn it. Now things are going to get complicated.
He scanned the area, searching for a specific figure.
'Where is he? He should be around here, yes?'
Minhyuk swung his head here and there, in search of that particular person. It didn't take long before he found him.
It didn't take long before his eyes landed on a figure amidst the chaos.
'There he is. Over there.'
At the edge of the newcomers stood a man clutching a large box. Raven-black hair framed his lean build, and sharp green eyes gleamed with an unsettling light.
Kim Jakga — 金作家.
His presence lingered like a specter in Minhyuk's thoughts.