The Beautiful Corruption
The sight of a once-righteous person being dyed in my colors and falling into depravity is beautiful no matter how many times I see it. In the Doctor's case, she wasn't transforming into an Evil Valkyrie but into a succubus, just like Marcela. And the first sign of that change was the stigma.
The stigma that formed over her womb glowed with a deep black light. It was as if it were mirroring the darkness that would soon consume the Doctor's heart.
Unlike Sehwa or Yuria, the malice didn't spread throughout the Doctor's entire body. It was proof that her adaptation was incomplete. This also aligned with the fact that even after becoming a demon, her usable power would be significantly lower. If everything had gone according to Sehwa's plan, the malice would have spread evenly, but the Doctor kept resisting and thrashing about.
Still, it didn't matter. She had clearly reached a state where she could accept magi. In time, she would grow stronger. Just the fact that the Doctor, who had spent her days buried in research at the lab, would now stand on the front lines was satisfying enough.
The Doctor stared at me with hazy, unfocused eyes, like someone high on drugs. It seemed she was trying to find stability by looking at my calm face. Then her eyes closed completely, and her body floated gently into the air.
Soon after—riiiip!
The flesh covering the Doctor's shoulder blades tore wide open, and long wings burst forth. They were the kind that would make anyone think "demon" at first glance, just like when I had corrupted Yuria's mother, Margaret. Once fully spread, their wingspan easily exceeded two meters. The tips of both wings lightly brushed against the walls on either side of the room.
The ends of those slightly dark-crimson wings dripped with blood from the torn flesh, creating a grotesque sight that would instill terror in any observer. Of course, from my perspective, it was an incredibly beautiful spectacle.
Next came the tail. The flesh above her tailbone bulged upward, then emerged with a tearing sound—though weaker than when the wings had appeared. It was a long, sharp tail ending in a heart shape. Exactly like Marcela's.
The tail thrashed around the room with a will of its own, flexible and powerful, smashing several pieces of equipment before finally settling down obediently.
Then came the skin. The pale complexion that had resulted from accepting my magi grew even whiter, like a naturally fair-skinned Irish person. After that, her skin became more elastic, her nails sharpened into points, and her canines grew sharp enough to slightly cover her lower lip. With that, the physical transformation was complete.
However, one final thing still needed to be confirmed.
The Doctor's body, now fully a demon, floated through the air and slowly drifted toward me.
I slipped my arms behind her back and under her knees, gently lifting her into my embrace. With her eyes still closed, I studied her face.
Beautiful.
The completely rejuvenated Doctor was breathtaking. Her face looked like it belonged to someone in her early twenties, but the clear demonic marks and her voluptuous figure added a seductive allure. Combined with her naturally intellectual features, she appeared slightly older overall. Her short, curly hair contributed to the effect. All in all, she looked like a sultry older sister in her mid-to-late twenties.
I was staring blankly at her face when I noticed signs that she was about to wake. My ears perked up.
“Mmm...”
Even her sleepy voice dripped with sensuality. Satisfied, I broke into a bright smile the moment her eyes opened halfway. It was because I could see her bright red irises and vertical slit pupils.
With this, the Doctor had become a perfect demon. She had been reborn as my eternally bound subordinate, a thrall who could never leave my side.
“Ji... hyuk... I...”
Still unfamiliar with her new state, the Doctor trailed off and wrapped her arms around my neck. At that moment, a sharp stab sound came from my throat, followed by a stinging pain as blood welled up. While trying to adjust her posture using my neck as leverage, she had accidentally pierced it with her nails.
When she saw what she'd done, the Doctor panicked and began to struggle. But the moment I held her tightly, she calmed down again.
“I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...”
She kept apologizing in a tearful voice. I shook my head and said,
“It's fine. How do you feel?”
“... Strange...”
That single short word carried a multitude of emotions. Joy, unfamiliarity, and fear all mixed together. After all, she was now fully aware that the human self she had lived as was gone.
In truth, I felt something similar to what the Doctor was experiencing. Her becoming my subordinate carried significant implications.
Until now, I had acted freely, but I had still drawn a certain line. I had moved in secret while keeping an eye on the Doctor, who was essentially the head of the main headquarters. But that was no longer necessary.
The World Coalition, where the Doctor held a high position, could now move according to my will. The same applied to other nations. I had gained the power to control the entire Earth.
Of course, I would still need to be cautious until Adele fell, but my range of action had expanded beyond imagination.
The Magic Realm was a bit unstable, but... once I turned Adele into an Evil Valkyrie, it would return to normal. After that, I would corrupt Stella and Silvia, reorganize the Magic Realm, and head to the heavenly realm to fight the final boss, Rosario. Then I would bring Rosario to her knees and make her my servant before seizing control of the entire universe.
The process wouldn't be entirely smooth. However, with two geniuses— the Doctor and Marcela—by my side, and with the Evil Valkyries under my command, there was nothing I couldn't accomplish. I believed that firmly.
“Something... power is overflowing... my back feels heavy... are these wings...? And it looks like I have a tail too...”
“Yeah. Do you want to get rid of them?”
“No... it's not that... but living like this forever seems inconvenient...”
The Doctor spoke in an extremely practical manner. It was completely different from how Sehwa and Yuria had naturally embraced their corrupted forms right after falling. Having become a demon while still mentally a normal human, she was struggling to adapt.
The sight made me burst into laughter. I chuckled for a long while before finally calming down, then brushed her hair back into place as I spoke.
“You can hide them, just like Marcela.”
“Really...? How?”
“Now that you've become my subordinate, you can use my magi. Once you learn how, transforming shouldn't be a problem. I'll set you down for now.”
“Okay...”
“If you feel like you're going to fall, grab onto me.”
Seeing her nod slowly, I very carefully moved my arms diagonally so that the soles of her feet could touch the floor. When I slowly released my hands, the Doctor leaned forward and spread both arms out to her sides. She was trying to keep her balance while conscious of her massive wings.
Her adorably clumsy, almost four-dimensional movements made me chuckle again before I continued.
“How is it?”
“I-I don't know... it's too unfamiliar...”
“That's because you're still carrying all your human habits. It'll get better gradually, so don't worry.”
I stepped back about four paces and stretched both arms toward her.
“Try walking over to me.”
At those words, the Doctor swallowed hard and began to move her feet. Step by step, she waddled like a child taking her first steps. Each time she did, her wings fluttered, creating a strangely captivating sight.
When she finally reached right in front of me, she practically fell forward into my arms.
“Haa... haa...”
It was cute how she was breathing heavily from all the tension. Her rejuvenated face, too... it felt refreshing to see her like this.
I patted her back gently and said,
“Well done. Just keep practicing slowly like this.”
“Okay...”
“Let's head out now. You should greet Sehwa and Yuria, and I'll have Marcela check your physical condition.”
“B-but Yuria... she's angry with me...”
“That was all just an act. Right now, she'll treat you more kindly than anyone else. I guarantee it.”
When I spoke so confidently, the Doctor seemed relieved and buried her face in my shoulder. I lifted her up in my arms and left the room.
As expected, Yuria showed a very gentle attitude toward the newly demonic Doctor. She complimented her transformed appearance, saying it was incredibly beautiful, and even offered to stay by her side to help her adapt and teach her how to use her magi.
Yuria's behavior was completely natural. Even right after her own corruption, she had warmly embraced Marcela and the other monsters.
Sehwa also approached her far more kindly than when she had been coaxing her before. The Doctor, who had received such a warm welcome, looked a bit bewildered at first but soon smiled happily and enjoyed their hospitality.
Afterward, I took the still-unsteady Doctor to the infirmary. When I saw Marcela waiting there with sparkling eyes, I couldn't help but smirk. She was looking at the Doctor—who had become the same kind of succubus as herself—as if she were a blood sister.
It made sense. She was no longer the only succubus; now there were two.
The Doctor must have instinctively sensed a familiar aura from Marcela as well, because she smiled at her with eyes full of goodwill.
Leaving their reunion for later, I laid the Doctor down on the medical equipment and carefully examined her condition together with Marcela. The most important thing was, of course, the child. I had been worried that the reconstruction of the Doctor's body might have put too much strain on the baby. Although I had run countless simulations, I couldn't help but feel anxious. Fortunately, it had all been for nothing.
The results were perfectly normal. There were no abnormalities in the Doctor's body either.
“That's a relief.”
“Yes. The Doctor adapted very naturally. I believe it's thanks to Her Majesty's fair treatment.”
“Indeed.”
“Then... shall I leave you two alone?”
Leave us alone? Ah... she must think I'm going to embrace the Doctor.
Of course, I would. To celebrate this monumental occasion of becoming a demon, it was only natural that we would entwine our bodies and share our flesh. But adaptation came first.
I shook my head and said,
“Helping her move naturally comes first. You, Sehwa, and Yuria should help her a lot from the side.”
“Then what about you, My King...?”
“I need to return to Korea. Contact me once she's adapted well. And it wouldn't be bad to resume the research we've been putting off.”
“Are you referring to the Aether replication research?”
“That's right.”
With the Magic Realm's influence weakening due to holy power, relying solely on Adele was far too risky. It was right to prepare multiple contingency plans for whatever might happen.
Now that the Doctor—who had conducted the most Aether research—had become family, the research would accelerate. Even if we couldn't achieve perfect replication, if we could produce something similar and I could control it freely, creating an army wouldn't be impossible.
The ultimate goal of the Aether replication research was to turn the countless humans scattered across Earth into warriors. They would be far more useful than those who would bite their master the moment influence weakened. They would also be a great help when fighting the heavenly realm.
We were already nearly halfway there. Let's steadily build toward the future.
“Understood.”
“Also, since the Doctor will be visiting the headquarters and Korea often, come up with a way to safely conceal the child's magi without any strain. I'll go erase the magi now. Take good care of her when she wakes up so she doesn't feel anxious.”
“Of course.”
“I trust you.”
I ruffled Marcela's hair, then chuckled as I watched her legs give out before leaving the infirmary.
After that, I took a portal back to the Doctor's house in Korea. I swallowed the medicine Marcela had prepared, then opened all the windows wide. Perhaps because winter was approaching, the wind was cold.
Sitting on the sofa, I let out a long sigh. It felt like one chapter had ended, and a new, chaotic chapter was beginning. If I could get through this transition period well, the road ahead would be much smoother.
While I was staring at the ceiling, resting without a single thought in my head, I received a text from Adele and grinned.
I paused for a moment before replying.
Something must have happened with Silvia. Even during our call yesterday, her voice hadn't sounded good. It seemed things had gone as I intended. It didn't sound like the full-blown fight I had hoped for, but... I'd find out once I heard the details.
This Demon King misses you too, Adele. I'll just erase the magi and head over.