Truce – Two Things You Should Never Do in This World
In this world, there are two things you should never do. One is resurrecting at a funeral home, and the other is a hostage escaping alone. Both are good things, sure. But when they actually happen, an indescribable awkwardness sets in—that's the trap.
"Um... glad you're safe?"
"What's with the question mark?"
If it's fortunate, just say it is—why end it with a question? I asked as I climbed the stairs with Yu-hwa, and she lifted her sleepy eyes to look at me.
"I'm just suspicious if you're really okay."
"I'm fine."
"You're not lying to avoid worrying me, right?"
"I'm not."
"Hmm..."
Now that I thought about it, Yu-hwa was surprisingly full of worries. Kind people tend to fret over little things, and I could understand since I'd actually been kidnapped... but from my perspective, it was absurd. Who was worrying about whom? I'd fought the cult leader, but she was the one who got done in by wild dogs.
"Anyway, time for a little punishment."
"Huh?"
"Why'd you come to rescue me?"
"Ughhh...!"
"I'm a magician, remember? A damn strong one."
"Mercy! My cheek hurts!"
I mercilessly twisted Yu-hwa's cheek, and she stretched like taffy, getting thoroughly punished. This time, we'd gotten lucky since the kidnapping was real. But if it had been a bluff and she'd come alone? She'd have been beaten and turned into a sacrifice.
"Don't come rescue me next time."
"That's a bit..."
"...At least text me if you're coming."
"Got it!"
But Yu-hwa was just as stubborn. With her sense of responsibility and loyalty, telling her not to come wouldn't work. Only when I gave up and said to at least leave a text did she nod with a bright smile. I sighed, but I didn't hate it.
Guess I'll have to put in some effort.
She was a bit reckless, but a precious colleague nonetheless. If she caused trouble, I'd clean it up. With that thought, I released her cheek and asked Yu-hwa, who was rubbing it, about the time.
"By the way, what time is it?"
"Five minutes to nine."
"...Where are we?"
"Some mountain on the outskirts of the city."
Hmm... Looked like both Yu-hwa and I were late today.
As expected, we were late. After getting scolded by Department Head Nam, we dove into work. The backlog was still massive, so we pulled an all-nighter and only left the office late into the evening.
The cityscape where light and darkness blended harmoniously. I gazed at it for a moment, then started moving somewhere under cognitive distortion magic.
"Let's go."
The place I was heading to was the hideout of the Gonggi Sect. I'd read the memories of their followers, so I knew the location. It was quite a distance, so I had to run diligently.
"Here it is."
After about thirty minutes of running, I spotted a cave on the outskirts of the city. Cleverly hidden with sorcery. The unpleasant mana and faint bloodstains confirmed it was their hideout.
"Hmph..."
There was a barrier, but breaking it was easy. The dark cave interior had narrow, winding passages that were hard to navigate. I smashed through as needed. There were traps here and there, but my steps didn't stop.
"Huh."
After about five minutes, a large space opened up. The scene inside was beyond anything I'd imagined.
Cult members dead with knives in their hearts. At a glance, it looked like they'd killed each other, but closer inspection showed self-inflicted wounds. The floor was soaked in blood, and a thick metallic stench assaulted my nose.
[Gurgle... Gurrrgle...]
"What the hell is this."
When a sacrifice is offered, the ritual activates. Right after I entered the ritual space, the blood pool began to bubble, gathering into a human shape. The body formed slowly from the lower half. But it looked familiar.
Yu-hwa?
The wax-melted-statue-like body traced feminine curves. Smooth thighs, wide hips, ample breasts. All familiar to me, though I'd only seen them clothed. And as the face formed, my suspicion turned to certainty.
[Ahem. Can you hear me?]
"...."
It was Yu-hwa made of blood. But the voice was different. The same timbre, yet far more seductive and wicked. The soul's filling of pleasure and malice came through in the voice alone.
"Who are you?"
[If I had to say, descendant of So-ho, beast of calamity, idol of the wicked!]
"...."
[The name is also vicious: the Four Evils' Gonggi~]
The Four Evils' Gonggi. That's how it introduced itself, and I sensed it was true. If so, I was in quite a dangerous spot right now.
Eh, whatever.
For some reason, I didn't feel much sense of crisis. Simple reason: unlike the Chaos one I'd faced before, this thing had no real power emanating from it.
"Borrowing Yu-hwa's form temporarily, huh."
[Sharp eyes. I borrowed the cult friends' power for a temporary descent!]
Not a full descent, but temporary. It couldn't contain its full power, just enough for talk.
"So you need Yu-hwa's body for a real descent."
[Clap clap clap, correct! Spot on~]
I'd questioned why it took Yu-hwa's form specifically, and Gonggi answered honestly. It was targeting her for a proper manifestation.
"You can just tell me straight?"
[You already know, right?]
"True enough."
No surprise there. I'd tangled with the Cheondo Society multiple times and read plenty of memories. I had a rough grasp of the four sects' goals.
"So why are you here?"
[To propose a truce.]
Anyway, there had to be a reason it sought me out. I cut straight to it, and it did the same. A truce... Not words you'd expect from an incarnation of chaos and destruction like one of the Four Evils.
"What's the goal?"
[We can't take Yu-hwa from you right now. So we're gonna power up a bit.]
Gonggi smirked smugly, and I let out a hollow laugh at the brazenness. Never thought I'd hear someone openly declare they'd backstab me someday. Utterly ridiculous.
"What if I refuse the truce?"
[Then we'll protest—with force.]
"You think you can win?"
The Chaos Sect rampaging like mad under chaos authority—I'd beaten them. Could the relatively weaker Gonggi Sect take me? I doubted it.
[You'd be tough, but others aren't, right?]
"Coming at it that way, huh..."
But it immediately struck my weak point. The moment it figured out who I was, it threatened those around me.
What a pain.
I'd operated in secret so far, no issue. But getting tangled with Yu-hwa exposed me, and before I could prepare countermeasures, Gonggi hit first.
"You already set up?"
[Just give the order, and we strike.]
My acquaintances were already targeted by cultists. Refuse the truce here, and it'd order attacks immediately.
Fuck.
Just imagining it filled my throat with disgust. My fault for underestimating the Gonggi Sect's speed—I should've prepared sooner.
"...I accept the truce."
[Great~ Let's seal the contract!]
I accepted with a sigh, and Gonggi grinned, presenting the contract. Simple terms: complete prohibition of hostile acts between parties. Applied to summons and subordinates too. No deep-sea summons attacking cultists, no cultists hitting my people.
"Thorough, aren't you."
[No trust between us, so the contract has to be ironclad.]
We both signed in blood. The contract glowed faintly, floated, then vanished. A subtle mana stirred in my heart—the penalty for breaking it, no doubt.
"Soon enough, I'll make you pay for your rudeness, Gonggi."
[You be careful too. I'll take Yu-hwa by any means.]
Contract done, no reason to talk more. It melted into a puddle of blood, and I left the cave immediately. First thing, I called my contacts.
"Mom, everything okay lately?"
"I told you no gallery. That's obsession."
"Just asking for work... She hung up."
Good, everyone seemed fine. I sighed in relief, then tuned into the voice I'd been ignoring.
[That bitch. Kill her. Now.]
Calm down first...
[Stress! Annoying! Hate sweet potatoes!]
My head filled with Shin-nim's voice. She was seriously pissed at the developments. I could understand, given her dislike for frustration.
[Hubby not mad?]
....
[Not pissed? Weak sauce.]
Shin-nim questioned my calm. Aren't you angry? Doesn't getting schemed against annoy you? After a moment's thought, I answered.
"As if. Of course I'm fucking furious."
[Then why?]
"Holding it in. Gonna explode later."
I bared my wrist, conjured a massive water spear with magic, and slammed it into the cave.
Kuuuung...
The massive quake and collapsing cave. Their hideout, cultist corpses, annoying memories—all buried deep underground.
"Let me make a prophecy."
[Excited.]
"Gonggi will be split mountain-style and offered to the deep sea."
My prophecy: Gonggi would meet a gruesome end matching Shin-nim's rage.