Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Devouring the Curse
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Delicious!
Siwoo grabbed Ye-eun's sleeve and pulled her out into the hallway.
The moment the hospital room door closed, Ye-eun's expression turned deadly serious as she spoke.
"CEO."
"Yes."
"Can I eat that one?"
Ye-eun's slender finger pointed at the closed hospital room door.
Siwoo's brow furrowed.
What the hell is this woman talking about now?
"No."
"But it looks so tasty."
Ye-eun licked her red lips with her tongue, smacking them appreciatively.
Her eyes gleamed with raw greed.
"Humans aren't for eating."
Siwoo drew a firm line.
Ye-eun tilted her head, her face twisting in confusion, as if she couldn't comprehend.
"...It's not human."
"Pardon?"
"And if I eat it, the host might even get healthier."
"...Wait. Weren't you talking about eating Ji-yu?"
"Eww."
Ye-eun recoiled in disgust, waving her hands frantically.
"What's the point of eating something like that? It wouldn't even taste good."
She pointed once more toward Ji-yu.
More precisely, she was glaring at the area around the girl's heart, beyond the door.
"There's something inside that shell."
"...No way."
Siwoo's eyes widened.
It wasn't visible to him, only to her.
That meant it wasn't some ordinary disease or mana circuit issue.
"Hold on a moment."
'Insight Eye.'
Siwoo cracked open the hospital room door and checked Ji-yu with Insight Eye.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 📛 Name: Choi Ji-yu 🏷️ Rank: Undetermined ⭐ Potential: ??? / D-??? ⚠️ Special Notes: Abnormal mana reflux occurring 'As expected, she's still too young for full details.'
"Ye-eun. Is that... a curse?"
"Yeah, exactly. A curse."
Ye-eun answered casually, as if picking out lunch from a menu.
"But it's weird. It wasn't formed naturally. It reeks."
"Reeks?"
"Not sure exactly, but someone planted it there on purpose."
The rare disease they'd thought plagued Ji-yu was actually a curse someone had implanted.
A chill ran down Siwoo's spine.
"Are you certain?"
"Yep. That thing's fully ripe now. It's about to burst. When it does, the host dies, and the curse completes."
Ye-eun calmly announced the time bomb's countdown.
Siwoo pulled out his phone immediately.
Ring ring.
[Yes, CEO!]
"Min-seok. When exactly did Ji-yu start getting sick?"
[Huh? Ji-yu? Why do you...]
Choi Min-seok hesitated on the other end.
He sounded flustered by the sudden question.
"It's important. Tell me the exact time."
Sensing the gravity from Siwoo's serious tone, Min-seok paused to think.
[Exactly... five years ago. Right after my wife—Ji-yu's mom—went missing, she started wasting away.]
Five years ago. His wife's disappearance.
And his daughter's onset of illness.
The timing was too perfect to be coincidence.
'Clozer.'
A name flashed in Siwoo's mind.
The name Kang Tae-hyung had spat out.
He was an S-rank villain infamous for biological experiments and forbidden research.
His disappearance from activity lined up roughly five years ago as well.
'No way.'
Missing wife and cursed daughter.
The puzzle pieces were clicking together.
"Got it. I'll call back."
Siwoo ended the call with a deep sigh.
Then he looked at Ye-eun.
She was still smacking her lips, staring daggers at the door.
"Ye-eun."
"Yes."
"You can eat that."
"Really?"
Ye-eun's face lit up like a flower in bloom.
"But on one condition. Ji-yu can't be harmed at all. Not a single hair out of place."
"Got it. I'll eat it clean."
Ye-eun eagerly threw open the hospital room door.
Slide.
Ji-yu and Jia were chatting amiably.
"Sis, when I get discharged, let's go out! I wanna go to an amusement park."
"Sure, let's do it. I'll buy you everything. Headbands, churros, and we'll watch the parade too."
Lee Jia stroked Ji-yu's hair with a big-sister smile.
Ye-eun ignored the warm atmosphere completely.
She strode straight to the bed, eyes locked solely on Ji-yu's chest.
"H-Hello?"
Ji-yu blinked her eyes wide.
Sensing something off, Jia instinctively stepped in front.
"What? What's going on?"
But Ye-eun treated Jia like she was invisible and shoved her aside.
"Out of the way."
"W-Wait a sec!"
Before Jia could protest, Ye-eun was already right in front of Ji-yu.
Without hesitation, she placed her hand on the girl's chest.
Ji-yu flinched at the icy touch.
"Stay still. It'll be quick."
"Y-Yes...?"
The moment Ji-yu panicked—
Whoosh—!
Black haze rose from Ye-eun's palm.
The dark energy writhed like living tentacles, piercing through Ji-yu's gown and burrowing into her skin.
"Ugh!"
Ji-yu's body stiffened.
Her eyes rolled back as convulsions hit.
Jia freaked out and tried to pull Ye-eun away.
"Are you insane?! What are you doing to a kid!"
"Step back."
Siwoo entered and spoke. Jia froze at his firm voice.
"CEO? Ye-eun's...!"
"It'll be fine. Trust me."
"...Okay."
To Jia's eyes, it looked like a demon sucking the life out of the child.
But Siwoo's unwavering gaze left her no choice but to clench her fists and watch.
Purple energy from Ji-yu's body was being drawn out through Ye-eun's hand.
The black haze coiled around the violet smoke, yanking it free.
It was like pulling off a leech.
"Hnn..."
A groan escaped Ji-yu's lips.
'Delicious.'
Ye-eun was lost in ecstasy.
Finally, after sucking out the last drop, she pulled her hand away.
Ji-yu's pale face was now flushed with healthy color.
Blood returned to her lips, her breathing eased.
The suffocating pressure on her chest gone, she drew in a deep breath.
"Haa... I can breathe... My chest doesn't hurt."
"Ji-yu!"
Jia hurriedly checked her condition.
Temperature normal, pulse normal. No— she felt healthier than before.
She stared at Ye-eun in disbelief.
But Ye-eun paid no mind to their reactions.
She stared blankly into space, mumbling to herself.
Chewing the curse, she read the lingering thoughts embedded within.
Fragments of memories recorded as the curse grew flowed into her mind.
About ten minutes later, Ye-eun's eyes returned to normal. She let out a sigh.
"Phew."
"Ye-eun. Did you learn anything?"
Siwoo asked, and she nodded.
"Yes. There was a symbol. Near the entrance. Two snakes biting each other's tails. And... I saw a lab-like scene. Iron bars, screams, chemical smells."
"Ouroboros."
Siwoo murmured.
Ouroboros was Clozer's signature mark.
"Good work."
Siwoo tucked Ji-yu's blanket and left the room.
"Where are you going?"
Ye-eun scurried after him.
Jia started to follow but stopped at the door, unable to leave Ji-yu alone.
At the elevator, Siwoo pressed the button.
"Ye-eun, stay here."
"I've got a quick errand."
"I'll come too."
"No."
Siwoo raised a hand to stop her.
"I have to go alone."
"Why? It's dangerous."
"You've been making too much noise lately. We're too visible."
Siwoo stared her down, applying silent pressure.
"......"
"......"
"Fine. But come back quick."
Ye-eun pouted and plopped into a hallway chair, face full of complaint.
Just before the elevator doors closed, Jia's voice drifted over, throwing shade at Ye-eun.
"Maybe if you'd wrecked less stuff, they wouldn't leave you behind."
"This damn...!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Seoul's nightlife glittered.
Neon signs flashed, streets brimming with human desire.
But the brighter the light, the deeper the shadows.
The place Siwoo headed was the darkest of them all.
A rundown commercial building in Jongno.
A redevelopment zone, abandoned and deserted.
Down unmarked basement stairs stood a massive iron door blocking the way.
A lawless zone where anything could be bought or sold for the right price.
The black market.
Bulky guards with nasty scowls were frisking entrants.
"ID."
The guard blocked Siwoo, who silently handed over a business card from his pocket.
[Miracle Management CEO Han Siwoo]
The guard's eyes widened at the card.
Everyone in the industry knew the hottest name lately.
"Oh, CEO Han! Didn't recognize you."
The guard's attitude flipped to polite instantly.
The black market was pure capitalism, ruled by money and power.
Generous to those who had both.
"Please, go in. VIP section's inside."
Siwoo gave a light nod and entered.
He arrived at the information shop dubbed the Library of Knowledge.
It looked like a dusty old bookstore from outside, but this was where Korea's most secretive intel traded hands.
From political scandals to S-rank hunter weaknesses—nothing was off-limits.
Ding.
Opening the door, an old man at the desk adjusted his glasses and eyed Siwoo.
"Welcome, customer."
He scanned Siwoo, then flashed an oily smile.
"You're quite the celebrity these days. Miracle's CEO Han. What brings you here?"
"You're too kind."
Siwoo sat in the opposite chair. The worn leather creaked.
"What brings you here in person?"
"Looking for someone."
"Someone. Name?"
"Clozer."
The broker's hand froze.
Heavy silence blanketed the shop.
The man removed his glasses, set them on the table, and fixed Siwoo with a stern glare.
Fear flickered in his eyes.
"You must have two lives to spare."
"......"
"Countless fools digging into that psycho have vanished without a trace—truckloads of them. You think you can handle it...? Yeah, probably."
"...Sounds like you have info."
At Siwoo's words, the broker feigned ignorance, averting his gaze.
"...This should do it."
But Siwoo didn't back down.
He pulled a thick envelope from his coat and placed it on the desk.
"50 billion in bearer bonds."
"What."
The broker's eyes sparkled.
The scent of money. And even bigger money.
No bait could hook him harder.
"As the rumors say, you're generous."
He peeked inside, clucked his tongue, and swept the bonds into his grasp with greedy hands.
"Fine. Cash paid, info delivered. Merchant's honor."
He opened a drawer and pulled out an old tablet PC.
"But fair warning: I don't know Clozer's exact spot. Guy's a ghost. No GPS, swaps mana signatures constantly. Slippery bastard."
"I know."
Siwoo nodded.
"Not his location I want."
"Then what?"
"The lab he's suspected of running."
Siwoo listed the details from Ye-eun.
Deep underground, distinct disinfectant smell, iron bars, possibly operational since five years ago.
The broker pondered, then tapped the tablet screen.
A map appeared, dotted with red pins.
"Recent mana distortions around the capital. Association dismissed 'em as natural, but not my eyes."
He jabbed a spot on the map.
"This one especially. Abandoned factory zone near Paju, Gyeonggi. Looks deserted, but abnormal power draw underground. Industrial electricity. And..."
The broker lowered his voice.
"Recently, shady shipments going in."
"Deliveries?"
"Custom restraints. Mana-suppressing alloy. Plus... bulk anesthetics and preservatives."
Bingo. Siwoo's eyes gleamed coldly.
"Coordinates."
"Take 'em. But remember: easy in, not out. Though with an S-rank escort possible, pointless advice for you."
The broker handed over a memory chip with the coords.
Siwoo pocketed it and pulled out another bag.
"Oh, and dispose of this for me."
"Not just buying info, eh?"
The broker rubbed his hands, suddenly obsequious.
Siwoo watched the clownish display and unpacked items from Kang Tae-hyung's safe.
"45 billion in bearer bonds and an S-rank artifact."
The broker's jaw dropped.
This was big game, even for the black market.
"L-Legit? No idea where you got 'em, but since you're dumping 'em, fees accounted for? Stolen goods cost extra to launder."
"Yeah... As CEO, holding this stuff ain't good. Handle it clean."
"Right. Appraise the artifact, set price. 5% fee only, customer loyalty discount for future biz."
"Sounds good."
Siwoo pocketed the chip and stood.