Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Contract Complete
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Salamandra didn't mingle with the other great spirits simply because it was a hassle.
As long as it had its nest with flames roaring skyward, it could roll around in there for centuries without ever getting bored.
Meeting other spirits was too much trouble, let alone answering calls from outsiders or lending its power.
Just lounging undisturbed in its nest was more than enough.
If anything disrupted that comfort, it incinerated the intruder without a second thought.
Intentional or accidental, with a backstory or not—it didn't matter to Salamandra.
Simply wandering into its nest and disturbing its peace was reason enough to burn them.
Pathetic humans, barely worth calling bugs, had invaded its nest.
These pests squeezed in, banking on a pitiful scrap of yin energy, and it was annoying.
Too lazy to chase them out, it just sucked up their yin energy like juice.
But incredibly, two of them endured all the way to the end.
｢A bug overflowing with yin energy, huh.｣
Curiosity piqued, it opened a path for them.
If they made it to the nest, it'd toy with them a bit before burning them up.
Assuming they could open the glowing red-hot door, that is.
｢It... broke the door...?｣
One bug pulled swords—two of them—from some bizarre place and cleaved the door in one stroke.
The other bug didn't just have a ton of yin energy; it amplified its power in some weird way.
｢This could be fun.｣
It wasn't bored, exactly, but now it had something to play with for a while.
It sent them to deal with the lizard fooling around making fireballs over there.
A pet, sure, but it was gate boss-tier at minimum—more than a match.
If they vanished in the lizard's flames, they'd just be ordinary bugs.
If, by some miracle, they won, it'd drag out a few more.
Either way, the bugs were doomed to despair.
｢Hah, resorting to unholy arts?｣
It stretched space, shrank it, even tore it apart.
Thanks to that, its pet ended up shredded into dozens of pieces, splattered across the floor.
Lizards were a dime a dozen, but seeing it torn up so gruesomely made its blood boil.
Leave them be, and the bugs might get cocky and dirty its nest even more.
Time to go up there and teach them some manners itself.
"Nice glare you've got. I was worried you'd submit too soon. I haven't even started yet."
The bug caught it.
An unimaginable turn of events.
It couldn't change form or vanish.
Trapped in the space, all it could do was crumple however the bug pleased.
A tiny gap would let it slip free, but this damned space had none.
Unlike before, now its body was the one crumpling.
It hurts, it hurts so much, this is torture, I wanna get out, rip that bug to shreds, kaaaaah—!!
Stop, please... stop folding me, aaagh...!!
I stopped counting after thirty folds.
It made all sorts of shapes—so many I wondered if I'd secretly been a paper-folding master.
Starting with testing how many folds it could take, then airplanes, frogs, cranes, accordions—whatever popped into my head, I folded it, knowing the method or not.
With Salamandra trapped in the space alongside, of course.
｢Enough... please... already....｣
Its fiercely burning eyes dulled to lifeless orbs.
Its crimson, gleaming body faded to a muddy black-red, like a homeless guy draped in a grubby sack.
"So just make the contract. How can I trust you enough to let you go?"
Gnome had tipped me off that contractors can't harm each other.
I couldn't use my powers anyway, but the other great spirits showed zero reaction to one of their own getting roughed up.
Spirit camaraderie must be different from humans'.
｢Same here. How can I trust you... to contract....｣
"Then keep getting folded."
｢Kaaaaagh—!!｣
I didn't torture it mercilessly the whole time.
Every third fold, I injected it with yin energy.
Unlike the other great spirits, this one hadn't shown interest in mine at first, but as a fellow spirit, it'd recognize the delicacy once it tasted it.
｢Give me more... that delicious stuff....｣
At first, wary eyes, but after a few doses, the reaction changed.
Pain twisted its face, only for its eyes to glaze over when yin energy hit.
I skipped once midway, and it craved it like a junkie in withdrawal.
｢Why stop... more, hurry....｣
It reminded me of that temple mural: An Su-jeong-deung.
A Buddhist tale about a man hanging from a cliff, chased by a feral elephant, who forgets his agony licking honey dripping from the vine he's clutching.
Below, snakes flick their tongues waiting for him to fall; to top it off, white rats gnaw the vine.
Drunk on sweet honey, ignoring his hopeless plight—like Salamandra right now.
Feeding it yin energy amid the pain to hook it? Solid strategy.
I kept bringing up the contract, which it absolutely refused at first, but eventually... silence.
｢.......｣
Like the path it'd cleared to its nest, I couldn't leave without Salamandra's will.
Having reduced it to this state, without the contract's bind, it'd kill me the instant it was free.
For better or worse, contracting Salamandra became key to our survival.
I desperately kept up the pain-pleasure rollercoaster, sweet-and-salty style.
"Haa, haa..."
I'd poured in so much yin energy my breathing grew ragged.
Salamandra was trapped, but the gate itself was draining a ton.
While crushing it, I shared yin with Han Chaewon to avoid retiring, blasted more its way to push the contract, driving us both to our limits.
｢I knew Salamandra was stubborn, but you're no slouch either.｣
"I could do this all day... hell, months if needed."
I recited some famous line, wiping bloodshot eyes.
Chewing into an undying spirit like this might've been reckless.
But as its king, once started, I had to see it through.
Even if the foe was a great spirit, apex of the gate ecosystem.
How long did we go?
Finally, a grumble escaped its lips.
｢Fine... that damned contract, I'll do it... hey, you lunatic—!!｣
I won!
The taut string of tension snapped, my legs buckling.
Couldn't show weakness after forcing surrender, so I held on, but my legs wouldn't obey.
I ground my teeth till they bled, but my body pitched forward.
Just before my knees hit, slender yet sturdy arms caught my waist.
Han Chaewon, spotting my wobble, became my pillar.
"Just... a bit longer. Hold on."
Her pitying voice fueled me.
Thanks to her, I stared down Salamandra without kneeling.
"Contract time. Give me the sigil, and you're free."
Inside the trapped space, Salamandra raised a twisted arm.
Outdoors, it'd etch it on my hand directly, but trapped, it flung the sigil my way.
An intricate flame-shaped sigil flew through the air toward me.
I offered my hand; it slipped right in, claiming the top spot.
As if declaring itself above the other spirits.
｢Now let me out. Contract's done, won't touch you. Can't even if I wanted.｣
Thinking of popping a lid, the space burst open with a tunk.
Free at last, but too weak to stand, it flopped face-down.
｢More... starving....｣
No resentment or rage in its hollow eyes—just raw hunger for my yin, brimming with desire.
I silently placed a hand on its head.
Dizzying suction, but cheap for a great spirit contract.
"No wonder it doesn't feel like a fearsome great spirit sprawled like that. More like a Pokémon reject."
Without the predatory flames, it did look kinda cute.
Twisted limbs righted themselves; it stood on shaky legs.
｢Gonna crash now. Call if you must, but don't for trivial crap. That was rough.｣
"Got it. How do we get out?"
｢I'll reopen that path. Follow it; exit'll appear.｣
"Not the entrance we used? Rather not be seen."
Everyone else got bounced way back, and the gate probably warped too.
Guild and Hunter Agency folks swarming the entrance? Headache.
Had to report eventually, but rest first.
｢Can open another. Where to?｣
Remembered first meeting Han Chaewon.
Bounced from gate, woke in nearby hills.
"Can you send us anywhere I say?"
No answer; instead, a map floated in the air.
Like a map app—Samsan-dong area in clear view.
"Spirits use this too?"
｢Picked it up picking nest spots. Humans use it; seemed handy.｣
Thought it holed up in gates only—civilization perks too, huh.
Handed the map to Han Chaewon.
"Pick a rest spot. Not home—they'll check there first if they think we're gone."
She pondered, then scrolled way down.
Namhae County, South Gyeongsang Province.
"Take us there."
"What's there?"
"Villa I share with Yeonseo. Go when my head's messy. Guild and Agency don't know."
Perfect now.
Marked the spot on the map, requested drop-off.
｢Got it.｣
Words barely out, scenery shifted—we plopped onto dirt.
Han Chaewon's gaze landed on a cozy villa.
Cute garden, nature-blended design meshed with the surroundings.
Unlocking the door, Han Chaewon said,
"Shower in the second-floor bedroom, then crash. Woojin-ssi, your face looks awful."
Memory fuzzy since the contract.
Facing Salamandra drained stamina, but mental toll was worse.
Rinsed off quick in the upstairs bath, collapsed into bed.
Could've dragged her in for another drain, but sleep won over lust this time.
How long did I sleep?
Cracking my eyes, I stared at an unfamiliar ceiling.
Blackout curtains hid day from night.
Why's it warm down there? I lifted my head slightly.
Sometime while I slept, Han Chaewon climbed on, diligently sucking my cock.
