What Is This Crazy Bastard Saying?
Hankook High School. It was rumored to be the best school in Korea for academics, the dream of every parent, and the ultimate goal for any student who considered themselves a bit of a scholar. However, staying enrolled was just as difficult as getting in. It was common for a student who had been ranked first in their entire school at a regular high school to find themselves at the very bottom of the rankings at Hankook High. That was why the students studied as if their lives depended on it, and the school held mock exams once every quarter to fuel that competition. Every time, the rankings were posted on the bulletin board without fail. For everyone to see.
At one point, the student council had strongly opposed the public disclosure of grades, but the school committee ended the situation with a simple answer: if you don't like the school rules, transfer. It was the students who were desperate, not the school. Thus, the mock exams became a tradition at Hankook High, creating an environment where students had no choice but to dedicate themselves entirely to their studies. After this latest mock exam, the posters revealing the grade rankings were plastered on the bulletin board as usual.
"What the hell is this bitch doing?!"
Moon Yeong-ran, a high school girl in her uniform, spat out a curse after seeing the grade poster on the wall.
2nd Place: Moon Yeong-ran — 98.1 points
In a school with such intense academic fervor as Hankook High, second place in the entire school was undoubtedly an incredible achievement. But Moon Yeong-ran’s face was filled with nothing but rage and irritation.
'Second place again!?'
She had paid expensive tutoring fees to university students from the most prestigious schools, receiving one-on-one intensive coaching. That wasn't all. She had scoured for predicted question banks and secret study guides, sleeping only a few hours a day, focusing solely on her studies. She had been confident, certain that she would take first place this time. But she was second again. She couldn't beat first place. Not even once!
Moon Yeong-ran’s gaze shifted to the first-place name above her own.
1st Place: Cheon Jin-ah — 99.5 points
A girl who had nothing. Her brother had been a vegetable lying in a hospital bed for years. She was a pathetic girl who grew up under her mother without a father. At first, she hadn't paid any attention to her. She thought they played in different leagues. Unlike that girl, her own father was a judge. And not just any judge, but one of the few Supreme Court Justices. She had first become aware of Jin-ah’s existence during the first mock exam. At first, she thought it was a mistake. That Cheon Jin-ah had taken first and she had taken second. Her father, the judge, had said so, and her mother had said the same. It was fine to make a mistake once. But if a mistake repeats, that’s skill. From that moment on, Moon Yeong-ran studied—only studied.
However, through the second... and past the sixth exam, she hadn't beaten her even once.
'Dammit, I thought I could win this time.'
She bit her lip hard. Blood began to flow from it. Startled by her vicious expression, the surrounding female students who had been checking their grades quickly hurried back to their classrooms. Moon Yeong-ran was left alone. As she trembled with rage, a smile suddenly spread across her face. Conversely, poison dripped from her eyes.
'You brought this on yourself. It’s your fault for not knowing your place. You bitch.'
She pulled out her phone and called someone.
"Yeah. It's me. I have a favor to ask."
She turned to head back to her classroom.
"Yeah, I need you to take care of someone. You know Cheon Jin-ah? Give that bitch a lesson. Oh, don't worry about the cleanup. Do you not know who my dad is?"
"Yeah, thanks."
After hanging up, Moon Yeong-ran’s gaze landed on Cheon Jin-ah, who was focused on her studies. 'I'll make you pay dearly for not knowing your place and acting out. You fucking bitch.'
Moon Yeong-ran smirked.
The appearance of the ghost, who had been wearing white funeral clothes, began to change. Bright red wings began to sprout from its back. Its height, which had been around 170cm, shrank to that of a young child. Its pale skin tone turned black, and it transformed with red eyes and pointed ears. The creature's face, having been slapped dozens of times, was swollen to the brim. It was familiar. At least to Cheon Yooshin.
"Imp?"
"How dare a human... Imp... how do you know me?"
The Imp, who had been speaking, asked back with a blank expression for a moment.
"Really, an Imp?"
Why is an Abyss monster appearing here? I didn't expect to see an Abyss monster again. Of course, the Imp is a low-class race that doesn't even count as a demon. But then, suddenly, if normal monsters appear, is there any law saying Abyss monsters can't?
"Hey."
"...Hey?"
A look of disbelief appeared on the face of the Imp, which had the form of a small demon.
"How dare a lowly human call me that."
Yooshin chuckled.
'Imps are the same wherever you go. Same reactions, same repertoire.'
"What are you going to do if I'm human? What are you, a mere Imp, going to do to me, a human?"
An expression appeared on the Imp's face as well. Clear mockery.
"That appearance from earlier was a state where I couldn't exert my power. My strength is restricted while in polymorph."
The wings on the Imp's back spread out long.
"Kwahahaha! I will make you regret giving me, the Imp, time!"
The Imp, who had been laughing heartily, opened its mouth wide, and flames began to flicker inside. It was obvious where those flames were headed. At that moment, Yooshin disappeared. And when he reappeared, one hand was gripping the crown of the Imp's head, and the other was holding its jaw.
Crack!
The moment Yooshin’s arm muscles bulged, a sound of something breaking echoed, and the wide-open mouth was firmly shut.
"Ugh, ugh, ugh!"
The Imp’s eyes widened as it struggled, but it couldn't overcome Yooshin’s strength.
"Where do you think you're opening your mouth and stinking it up? Damn! You want to die?"
At that moment, the flames inside the Imp's mouth exploded. The Imp's flesh splattered all over Yooshin’s entire body.
"Ugh, seriously! This Imp!"
Cheon Yooshin frowned and brushed the flesh off his clothes. Aside from that, the Imp's blood and flesh were scattered all over the floor. But for some reason, Yooshin opened his mouth toward that direction.
"If you don't want to be extinguished, aren't you coming out right now?"
"..."
"I'm counting to three. What happens to a demon if it has no magi? Three, two! On..."
"W-wait!"
The blood and flesh that had been splattered on Yooshin’s body and the floor began to gather in one place. And the Imp, just before it had exploded, revealed itself once again. The Imp was flustered by the monstrous strength Yooshin had shown earlier, and the way he seemed to know its abilities.
"Y-you human, what on earth is your identity?"
Yooshin’s expression turned serious.
"I am the transcendent being who cannot be handled by anyone in the Abyss, who stands at the apex of the food chain of countless demons, and who is untouchable even by the Lords of Hell—a being whose name is hard to even speak. I am none other than Cheon Yooshin."
The moment he finished speaking, Cheon Yooshin’s eyes flashed. And the Imp, having heard those words, said quietly:
"What is this crazy bastard saying?"
"Why isn't he coming out?"
Park Hae-soo checked the time on his phone with an anxious expression. It had already been three days since he went in. But he still hadn't come out.
"Don't tell me something went wrong?"
Park Hae-soo shook his head.
"No. Don't think unlucky thoughts. Park Hae-soo. Get a grip."
Park Hae-soo slapped his own cheeks with both hands to snap himself out of it. That was when it happened.
"Will you really come to your senses if you hit yourself that weakly? I'm pretty good at hitting, should I hit you once?"
Startled, Park Hae-soo turned his gaze toward where the voice had come from. There, Cheon Yooshin was slowly emerging from the gate.
"S-success?"
His mouth was asking the question, but his gaze wouldn't leave the gate. And then! The gate, which had been orange, began to turn white. Amazing! He really cleared it alone! Not even an E-rank, but a D-rank! If this news reached the reporters, it would be big news worthy of the front page of the newspaper immediately. No, even if he told them, they wouldn't believe it. An E-rank hunter clearing an uncleared D-rank dungeon alone? It was, quite literally, an absurd story.
The surprise didn't end there.
"Gasp! T-that..."
Park Hae-soo stuttered, as if his mouth wouldn't open properly. Where his eyes were directed, a literal demon was slowly walking out!
"H-Hunter! A monster is coming out. A monster! This is a gate break..."
"No, it's not like that."
"What do you mean it's not like that! I'm going to sound the alarm right now. How could this happen? It was clearly cleared."
Park Hae-soo quickly pulled out his phone, but he couldn't press the call button. His phone was already in Cheon Yooshin’s hand.
"W-what are you doing right now! Give it to me quickly! There's no time for this."
Even as his hand reached out toward Yooshin, his gaze remained fixed on the demon. 'D-dammit! It's a monster I've never seen before! A demon... a demon!' Just looking at it made his heart tremble. Park Hae-soo had never imagined in his life that he would see a demon.
"Oh, come on! I told you it's not, didn't I? Why are you overreacting alone? That guy is my familiar. Now."
"A familiar... what did you say?"
Did I hear that wrong? A familiar? That thing that looks like a demon, no, he treats a demon as a familiar? I've heard there are summoners who summon spirits or tame monsters. Summoners who don't exist in Korea but exist somewhere over there in America. Watching Park Hae-soo, who was briefly lost in confusion, Cheon Yooshin frowned.
"Hey, you demon bastard. I told you, change your appearance to look normal."
Ah, no, you shouldn't provoke a demon like that! Just as Park Hae-soo was about to cover Cheon Yooshin’s mouth with a terrified expression:
"S-sorry, Master."
The demon laughed at Cheon Yooshin’s words and bowed his waist obsequiously. Huh? Did I hear that wrong? Park Hae-soo hesitated and looked back at the demon.
'I-it's scary.'
Everything else is one thing, but those red eyes are too scary. Looking at those eyes, he felt like he was going to have a mental breakdown. That was when it happened. The typical appearance of a demon began to change. And the demon that finished transforming was no longer a demon. It was an ordinary, no, a mean-looking adult man. He stood next to Cheon Yooshin and watched his mood. Just like a faithful dog following its master.
"H-how?"
Park Hae-soo stammered, pointing his finger at the demon, no, the person. But when his gaze turned toward Park Hae-soo, his obsequious eyes instantly turned threatening.
"How dare a human point a finger at me, the Imp? Shall I cut that finger off?!"
The Imp rolled its eyes and threatened Park Hae-soo. It wasn't just words; the magi that had been wrapping around its entire body covered Park Hae-soo. Ugh!
Park Hae-soo, who wasn't even a hunter, had no way to endure it. Unfortunately, Park Hae-soo didn't know that if it continued for just a few more seconds, he would be consumed by the magi and go insane. However.
"You bastard, where are you scattering that dirty magi? You want to die?"
Whack!
Before he knew it, Cheon Yooshin had slapped the Imp on the back of the head.
"Ugh! S-sorry, Master!"
The sticky magi that had been soaking Park Hae-soo’s entire body vanished like mist.
"Be careful. Be careful, this isn't where you guys live. How dare you reveal your energy?"
"Y-yes, I understand! I'll keep that in mind!"
Like a well-trained new recruit, the Imp’s back straightened up stiffly.
"Y-Yooshin-ssi. What on earth happened here?"
Park Hae-soo, who had barely regained his senses, asked while gasping for air.
"Ah, it's nothing special. That guy was hiding in there. He had abilities that were a waste to kill, so I kept him alive."
Cheon Yooshin’s tone was as if it were nothing. Park Hae-soo asked again without realizing it.
"H-how on earth can you make it a familiar?"
"Well? It just happened?"
"So how?!"
This is truly big news. Perhaps it's a very important way for hunters to be able to command monsters...
"You just have to hit them? I hit them a few times until they were on the verge of death, and it automatically popped up in the system. Whether to extinguish them or make them a familiar."
"Master’s words are entirely correct! I thought I was going to die! I even thought I'd rather be extinguished!"
"What? You thought you'd rather be extinguished? Damn! Should I extinguish you?"
"Gasp! S-sorry! I made a slip of the tongue!"
Ah, so that was it~ That was all it took. There was such an easy way. So that's why he was in the gate for three days. Hunters couldn't summon familiars because they didn't know that. Park Hae-soo decided to forget everything he had heard. That was a story only Cheon Yooshin in front of him could pull off.