Chapter 63
Terminally Ill, but It's Okay — Episode 63
Not all Demonkin are evil.
Some slip quietly into society and live in peace, while others are aggressive but abide by a fixed code.
But the Exorcism Society is neither.
Their long-cherished wish is unending chaos and terror—listening to the voice of the Demon flowing in their blood.
So they commit all manner of terrorism and crime, living off their infamy.
Even in defeat, they must never become a laughingstock—that is their twisted creed.
"That bastard Roberto....... He got taken out without doing a single thing?"
So the fury that flared up in an instant from Chilma of the Seven Demons was only natural.
He was a man who prized the Exorcism Society's prestige above anyone else.
The messenger, prostrate as he delivered the news, trembled before cautiously opening his mouth.
"Will you see it for yourself?"
Chilma flicked his hand, and a crystal orb rose into the air and settled into his arms.
As he breathed Demonic Energy into it, the cloudy interior began to clear, revealing the truth of that day.
Roberto, who had been swaying with a wine glass clutched in his hand, shot to his feet as if sensing something amiss and poured out Demonic Energy.
Then a streak of light flew in without warning.
The moment the single flash pierced his chest, Chilma paused the recording.
"That's no ordinary sword."
Chilma recognized it the instant he saw it.
The sword aura, sharp enough to chill the blood, was unmistakably the mark of a high-grade Armament.
And the pattern engraved on the blade.
For something so small, he had thought it carried a peculiar energy.
The insight of an old Demon who had lived a long time was considerable, and he soon recognized this as well.
"A sorcery formula......."
Strictly speaking, it appeared to be inscribed using a principle of "bestowal" similar to magical enchanting.
That such an abstruse sorcery formula had been compressed to this degree was unfamiliar—and astonishing.
Enough to rate it as elevating the practical application of sorcery, which lagged behind magic, to another level.......
And there could be only one place capable of producing such results through sorcery.
"......A sorcery family."
Having identified its origin, Chilma fixed the messenger with coldly sunken eyes.
"Are there any further orders?"
"The Society Head has commanded that those who killed Roberto be captured discreetly."
"Heh heh. Discreetly, is it......."
And a direct line of a great family, at that?
It was a difficult order, but Chilma smiled bitterly and nodded.
"Tell him I understand. Someone has to finish this."
"Will you move personally?"
But to the follow-up question, he shook his head.
Because he had a more certain method.
Chilma, who had put off answering for a moment, soon spoke with a faint smile.
"Tell him I'll be recruiting the Sword Demon."
At that, the messenger's eyes flew wide open.
The Sword Demon (劍鬼).
Or the one called the Sword Demonkin.
A ronin affiliated with no faction, but his fearsome reputation was so lofty it rivaled even the Society Head's.
Chilma spoke in a tone full of conviction.
"Heh heh, what's there to be so surprised about? He's only human in the end. Throw him a suitable amusement and a mountain of money, and he has no choice but to move."
"Understood. Here are the specific instructions."
The messenger soon rose as if nothing had happened and handed over an envelope.
Chilma skimmed through it and offered a brief assessment.
"Impatient, isn't he. Move as soon as next week?"
"There are rumors that a major event has just been scheduled at Taehak."
"Not bad timing. First, I'll need to recruit someone well-versed in Taehak's internal affairs."
"Will that be possible?"
If it could be done, nothing would be better, but the messenger asked with a half-doubting expression.
"Heh heh, didn't I already say?"
But Chilma—
the old money-ghost also called the Money Demon, a magnate of the loan-sharking world—was resolute in his thinking.
"Isn't this a world where even the Sword Demon moves for money? Tell the Society Head I'll handle it properly."
* * *
A rare outing.
But leaving behind Joo A-rin, who looked uncomfortable for some reason, I returned to Taehak and headed straight for the training grounds.
From the physical conditioning I'd put off due to the award ceremony to Samjaegong practice.
By the time I finished everything I absolutely had to do, night had fallen in no time.
It was about time to call it a night, but I plopped down on the floor to chew over the experience gained from this episode.
Then I recalled the memory of that day.
"Hmm......."
The source of my inspiration was Cheon Seo-yoon's one-against-many brawl.
Her peerless performance was still vivid in my mind, and since I'd grown somewhat accustomed to the Cheonjam Thread, I felt I also needed experience in chaotic melees.
"Shall I give it a try?"
While I was at it, I summoned three training dummies with autonomous will that even attacked.
The levels were two at Level 7 and one at Level 8.
Strictly speaking, about the lowest grade among green Demonkin.
The moment I pressed the start button, they came charging at me, swinging long clubs.
As if storyboarding a battle scene, I sketched out a rough sequence of actions, then activated my sorcery.
A 32-stroke, 1-star Wind-Style Sorcery: Bull Gale.
Strength, agility, and the like—my stats rose, if only slightly, and I kicked off the ground.
At the same time, I summoned the Chungyongwi Warrior's Dagger and wound it tightly with Cheonjam Thread.
Once preparations were complete, I fired the Cheonjam Thread from my left hand and snagged the ankle of the one in the lead.
When I pulled with force, the dummy that had been charging in without a clue toppled over with a crash.
Then one of the dummies following behind leaped high, dodging while closing the distance.
Before its feet even touched the ground, I fired the main Cheonjam Thread from the dagger.
Thunk—
It pierced straight through the defenseless dummy's abdomen in an instant, and the Chungyongwi Warrior's Dagger, which had burst out its back, twisted its trajectory mid-flight and slammed into the chest of the dummy that had fallen.
In the blink of an eye, I'd retired two of them.
Now only the Level 8 one remained.
But it wouldn't be difficult.
I unraveled the Cheonjam Thread from my left hand and wrapped it around the remaining dummy's limbs.
First I bound both legs and applied pressure, then bound both arms as well.
It thrashed like a caterpillar caught in a spiderweb.
The Cheonjam Thread stretched as if about to snap, then contracted again, over and over.
For a perfect finish, I retrieved the Chungyongwi Warrior's Dagger.
I glanced aside to check the remaining time, then manifested a sorcery technique.
A 32-stroke, 1-star Fire-Style Sorcery, Flame Bullet.
The technique I'd barely—and for the first time—used in the battle against Roberto.
It was to practice the secret art I'd named "Sorcery Grafting," inspired by magical enchanting.
I reached out toward the completed sorcery formula.
And compressed it.
Smaller, and smaller still.
If it distorted, the accuracy would collapse and the power would diminish, so compressing it without damaging or deforming the formula was an extremely difficult task.
So much so that the accuracy of the latent-heat blast that had burst on Roberto had been a mere 60 percent at best.
If he hadn't let his guard down and had wrapped himself in Demonic Energy, it wouldn't have dealt that much damage.......
Anyway, that wasn't what mattered right now, so I refocused my mind.
At last, I'd reduced it to about half the size of a fist.
Time elapsed: roughly 30 seconds.
[Manifestation Accuracy: 65%]
I thrust out my right hand in one motion, and the dagger that flew through the air, splitting space, lodged in the dummy's chest and exploded at the same time.
The dummy shattered into pieces and scattered before crackling and vanishing.
"As expected."
Still clumsy, but the power alone was truly satisfying.
If I had my way, I'd spend SP and specialize it right this instant.......
But the engraving and compression process imposed such an enormous load that I couldn't.
So what choice did I have? I'd just have to make up for it with effort.
If I practiced hard and raised my proficiency, it would become a great asset on the journey ahead.
I lay down on the floor for a moment to rest.
"Right."
Something suddenly came to mind, and I sat up. I opened my phone, searched for a number, and made a call.
A familiar voice soon came through the receiver.
"Young master!"
It was Choi Jin-cheol.
"I was just about to contact you, so this is perfect timing."
Choi Jin-cheol continued in an excited voice, as if he'd been the one reaching out.
"I heard the rumor that you changed your track to the Sorcery Track and were selected as a special scholarship student."
......Only now?
The absurdly late news actually caught me off guard.
Hadn't it already been more than two months?
Even for a sorcery family that lived cut off from the secular world, this seemed excessive, but I soon accepted it.
It meant I'd been completely written off.
So much so that no one in the family cared.
"What good would it do you to know? More importantly......."
Thinking it was better this way, I changed the subject.
I asked him to send a 2-star sorcery manual right away.
"I apologize, but why a sorcery manual......."
"To sell it."
"Pardon?"
"It's a joke."
A brief silence flowed through the receiver, but I snickered and continued.
"No matter how much of a cast-off child I am, a sorcery family is still a sorcery family, isn’t it? There was no restriction saying I couldn’t even look at the family’s secret arts."
"......Ah, yes."
He still sounded languid, but a little more alert than before.
He gave a suitably noncommittal answer from his awkward position.
He was called a personal secretary, but he wasn't my man yet, was he?
So it was right to hide things thoroughly.
"Then tomorrow, shall I at least visit......."
"No. Seal it with mana and leave it at the front gate."
I brushed off Secretary Choi and hung up.
My goal was to hold out as long as I possibly could.
I dusted off my backside, stood up, and wound the Cheonjam Thread.
I'd worked up my energy to practice once more, but—
Bzzzz.
That seemed to be enough for today.
"Ah, has it already gotten this late?"
I turned off the phone alarm.
Once a day. It was time to go water the flower bud. No—to give it a transfusion.