The Beginning

"Grrrh... You son of a bitch!!!"

Serién's nails lengthened into razor-sharp claws and slashed toward Dong-hyun. The strike came too fast for him to react, yet her nails stopped a single millimeter from the spot between his eyes.

"Nngh... I can't even kill him... So the contract with the Evil God has already taken hold?"

"Oh? Just like that, you're already mine?"

Dong-hyun looked at Serién with a thoroughly self-satisfied smile.

"Who said I was yours? Not yet."

"Hmm? I think I'm going to need an explanation."

Dong-hyun was calmer than she might have expected.

"All we've done is form a contract. If you succeed in completing it with me, then you'll receive your reward."

"So if I pull something off, I become your official master. That's what you're saying."

"...Yes."

The strength drained from Serién's voice. One slip of the tongue, and she was on the verge of becoming a human's slave.

"So what exactly do I have to do?"

"Th-that's..."

"Don't want to say? Then don't."

"Ugh... I can't... Whether you succeed or fail, there has to be a conclusion, or I can't go back to where I came from."

"Heh. Then spit it out. No reason for either of us to waste our strength."

Just then, someone opened the door and walked into Kang Dong-hyun's room — then froze, a startled look crossing her face.

"Hey... what the hell are you doing?"

Did she see me and Serién? Well, of course it'd look strange, with a woman like that sitting on top of me...

"What are you doing lying on the floor by yourself? Life so boring you're trying to die? You piece of trash?"

By myself? She can't see Serién?

Nope. Humans can't see me. You're the only one who can.

Really? What color are that woman's panties?

At Dong-hyun's words, Serién got up and drifted over between the woman's legs.

Black lace.

Heh. I was just asking — you didn't have to scurry over there and look.

You—!!!

Serién, beside herself with rage, slashed her claws at Dong-hyun again — but she couldn't so much as scratch him.

"Hey! What are you doing?! Can't you hear me? So you're just gonna ignore me now?"

The woman walked over and drove a kick into Dong-hyun as he lay there. It barely even hurt, so he looked up at her and spoke.

"Nothing. I was bored, so I lay down. Figured I'd sleep. Why?"

"For real? That was the reason? Hah... like mother, like son, you pathetic loser. Why do you live like such a goddamn cockroach?"

The moment the woman brought up Dong-hyun's mother, the look on his face changed in an ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠instant.

"What's the matter, you little ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠beggar? Don't like me talking about your mommy? Wipe that look off your face. You wanna die?"

She stepped in close and seized him by the throat. Her grip was stronger than he'd expected; his airway closed up in an instant. Even so, he couldn't bring himself to fight back. After a moment she released ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠him and spoke again.

"Look at me like that one more time. I won't gouge out your eyes — I'll gouge out your mother's."

"Khack... hahh... Got it."

Dong-hyun gasped the words out, dragging air back into his lungs.

"Grandfather wants you downstairs. He says he has something to tell you. Hah... this is the kind of thing you send a servant for. Why the hell am I the one who has to pass messages to this bastard?"

Having said her piece, the woman didn't so much as glance back. She shut the door behind her and was gone.

That was Dong-hyun's place in this household. A life a single rung above a worm's.

He rubbed his throat, then pushed himself to his feet. Whatever else, he would have to go downstairs, just as that woman — Kang Su-yeon — had said. He had no idea what abuse or humiliation awaited him, but the only reason he could live even like this under this roof was that a sliver of his grandfather's blood ran through his veins. The word of that absolute authority was not something he could refuse.

"You're not going to hear my explanation?"

"Later. I'll be back."

"Pfft... Living like this, and he still said he didn't want power. Honestly..."

Serién's mocking laughter followed him from behind, but Dong-hyun ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pretended not to hear it and stepped out of his room.

On his way to the drawing room, the household staff bowed as he passed, though not a single greeting carried any sincerity. To them, Dong-hyun was a presence of no particular consequence. He ignored their bows and descended to the drawing room, where a considerable crowd had already gathered — his grandfather, his uncles and aunts, and Dong-hyun's own father and stepmother.

"Dong-hyun, you've come? Sit down."

Dong-hyun went to his seat and sat.

Once he had settled, his grandfather — Kang Mu-gang — spoke.

"Dong-hyun. You're twenty-five now, aren't you?"

"Yes, Grandfather."

"Good. You've grown enough. Time you took charge of one of our companies and got to work, don't you think?"

"Father!!"

The uncles and aunts erupted at the old man's words.

"Did you just raise your voice at me?!"

Kang Mu-gang's temper flared.

"Raising your voice in MY house!"

The roar shook the room. Beside him, Dong-hyun's aunt Kang Mi-hyun hurried to soothe the old man.

"Oh, come now, Father. Nobody was raising their voice. We were just startled to hear you talk about handing a company to a child."

"A child? Who's a child?! A Kang should be standing on his own two feet by twenty-five!"

At Kang Mu-gang's words, Dong-hyun's stepmother, Son Ga-eun, shot him a venomous glare. So did the other aunts, the uncles, and Dong-hyun's siblings and cousins — every last one of them watching Kang Mu-gang's mood, then turning that same glare on Dong-hyun the moment the old man's eyes were elsewhere.

Dong-hyun let out a short breath.

"Grandfather... I have no desire to do that. I'm content with things as they are."

"Father, even Dong-hyun says he doesn't want it. What could a boy like that possibly accomplish?"

Kang Mi-hyun needled the old man with practiced ease.

"In this house, nobody sits around eating for free! Either you leave this family, or you take charge of one of my companies. Those are your only two options!"

Even Kang Mi-hyun's coaxing couldn't bend him. Once Kang Mu-gang set his mind on something, there was nothing in this world he couldn't do.

"Well? What's it going to be?!"

With Kang Mu-gang pressing him again, Dong-hyun had no choice. No matter how many dirty looks the others gave him, they couldn't override the old man any more than he could.

"I'll do it. I'll... work."

"Good. That's my grandson."

Only then did Kang Mu-gang smile, tossing a document envelope toward Dong-hyun. He opened it and found information on the Materials Division of Mugang Corporation — one of the Mugang Group's subsidiaries.

"Even my grandson has to start from the bottom. Assistant Manager of the Industrial Materials Team should do, yes?"

Assistant Manager was an extraordinary position for a twenty-five-year-old. But the fact that no one else in the room so much as objected told Dong-hyun everything he needed to know — from their perspective, Assistant Manager was nothing at all.

"Su-yeon is the Industrial Materials Team Leader, so look after your little brother."

"Yes, Grandfather."

Kang Su-yeon answered with a pretty smile.

I'll work him like a dog and drive him out of here...

Her inner thoughts, of course, were another matter entirely.

Once their grandfather had finished speaking, they all scattered back to their own corners of the house. Dong-hyun was heading to his room when his stepmother, Son Ga-eun, stepped into his path. She was the mother of his older sister and brother, Kang Su-yeon and Kang Su-jin, and even at fifty she maintained a striking face and figure.

I still don't understand why Father cheated when he had a woman like this...

From her point of view, Dong-hyun was the bastard child born of her husband's affair. It wasn't his fault — but of course she hated him.

"Just what do you think you're doing? Is it really so hard to keep your head down?"

Son Ga-eun's voice was cold enough to frost the air.

"I haven't done anything."

"Just... breathe. I'll allow you that much. That, and nothing more. If you want to keep breathing, that is..."

Her tone was soft, almost gentle — and yet Dong-hyun's body began to tremble. A body that had endured vicious torment since childhood was reacting on its own.

"Hmph... that's right... just like that..."

She turned and walked past him, leaving Dong-hyun standing there, shaking. He stayed in the drawing room for a long while, dragging air back into his lungs, before he finally made it back to his room. The moment he was inside, he collapsed across the bed.

This isn't good for my health...

"You looked like a drowned mutt back there."

Serién popped into existence above the bed where Dong-hyun lay sprawled, peering down from the ceiling.

"Hah... yeah. You're easier to deal with, at least."

"Pffhahaha! This is why we demons are going out of business!"

Serién circled him, cackling.

"So. What is it I'm supposed to do?"

"Ah! You walked out without even hearing that part... Fine. I'll explain now. Want to try saying the word Quest?"

"Do I have to say it out loud?"

"No? Just thinking it should work."

Dong-hyun thought the word Quest, just as Serién had instructed. A window materialized before his eyes. It listed a number of entries, but only one of them was accessible. The rest appeared to be locked.

Subjugate the Female General...?

The quest's rank was E-rank.

"What is this?"

"A tutorial quest. A sort of complimentary service for first-timers, you could say? Not that the rewards are anything to sneeze at."

At Serién's words, Dong-hyun examined the E-rank quest more closely.

"Three rewards?"

"That's what I said, isn't it? I was feeling generous. It is the tutorial, after all~"

"I just... do it? And what happens to this world while I'm over there?"

"Time in this world will be frozen, so don't worry about that. And remember this: the people in the world you cross into aren't NPCs in some game. They're living, breathing human beings. Treat them carelessly, and the karma will catch up with you later."

Dong-hyun couldn't quite make sense of everything coming out of Serién's mouth.

"Alright. Then how do I come back to this world?"

"Just think to yourself that you want to return, and you'll come back here naturally. Once you do, time in that world will freeze the same way this one does. Don't worry about it."

"Hrm. And if I die over there?"

At Dong-hyun's question, a gleam lit Serién's eyes.

"Ooh~ Sharper than I expected. You failed to form a contract with the Evil God, so even dying won't let you rest in peace."

She ran her tongue across her lips as she answered. Something about the gesture made her look like a genuine demon, and Dong-hyun felt a chill.

Ah... she really is a demon. That face of hers keeps making me forget.

"Well... I am a merciful demon, so I'll give you three chances. Fail three times, and your soul becomes mine."

"Right. And if I don't fail three times, then you become mine?"

At Dong-hyun's words, Serién bit down hard on her lip.

"Th-that's right... So when are you going to start?"

"You said time in this world freezes. Might as well start now. I'll be back."

Dong-hyun opened the quest window and tapped the unlocked entry. His consciousness began to spiral down into a deep, swallowing darkness.